Blue Spirit Rising
by Kawisdom
Summary: I've always thought that Jet and Zuko could've had a beautiful friendship. If Zuko's experiences had made him identify more as a refugee than a fugitive and enemy, what else might have changed? A/U beginning with Zuko and Iroh's time as fugitives.
1. Ba Sing Se

Blue Spirit Rising

Ba Sing Se

Jet squatted on the rooftop, looking bitterly down at the apartment the fire benders lived in. Seeing the younger, scarred one on the ferry, he'd felt an immediate sense of kinship, a belief that Li was someone who'd understand him. Then, when they'd docked, his uncle had heated up a tepid cup of tea. He'd done it with his bending. No one seemed willing to listen, even his friends, and he'd gotten desperate enough to be stupid. Loud, open confrontation which led, not to an attack by fire, but swords. Li, that spying Fire Nation scum, had readily disarmed him, then turned around and lied to the Dai Li to save him from arrest.

He wasn't very convincing until Mushi backed him up, claiming that Jet had lost his parents at a young age to bandits, including a rogue fire bender. Sadly, he sometimes drank when the anniversary of their deaths approached, Mushi added mournfully. He would see Fire Nation thugs everywhere.

He promised the Dai Li agents that they'd keep a closer eye on Jet. They accepted the story, seeming pleased with the web of lies. It let the crowd of onlookers continue to pretend that the war outside Ba Sing Se's walls didn't exist. _And t_ _hat's all anybody cares about_ , the young Freedom Fighter thought, seething. _I'll deal with them myself if the so-called authorities won't._

So he glared into the enemy lair. The small apartment held few possessions but it was clean. There were plants in the window, a seeming bit of cheer. Jet wondered if they were a signal. If the plants' positions shifted from day to day he'd assume a code was in use.

Li stepped outside, striding down the darkening street with a package beneath one arm. Jet was tempted to follow, but what if Mushi did something? There was no question who was in charge. He was older and definitely a bender. He also struck Jet as more devious, while the younger spy was undoubtedly muscle. How many guys could stack dishes with sword blades?

 _Li's running Mushi's errands, then,_ Jet decided, rising to climb quietly off the roof.

Although Jet would have sworn the alley was empty, a shadow seemed to come to life and Jet found a knife's blade pressed to his throat, the lights of the street mere steps away. The shadow was a man in dark, snug-fitted clothing, including a hood that left only his eyes exposed, eyes the same pale gold as wild honey. Li's eyes.

"This has to stop," Li told him.

That voice, a little rough, was also distinctive. It left Jet with questions. Had his throat been injured when his face was burned? He shoved the thought aside, knowing there'd never be a time to ask. Li was his enemy.

"I'm not hiding from the truth like everyone else in this city," Jet declared.

Li's eyes narrowed. "You're a fool. You're a hair's-breadth from dying and you still want to do this?"

"If you planned on killing me I'd already be dead", Jet replied with assurance.

He noticed the slightest twitch of acknowledgement around those expressive eyes. _They really thought he'd make a good spy?_ Jet thought. _His face_ _shows everything, even covered up like that._

That was one of the gaping holes in his spy theory, as Smellerbee had shouted days ago, when she and Longshot dealt themselves out of this battle.

The blade was withdrawn from his throat and Li stepped back. "Don't try anything stupid. Killing you would draw attention, but I'll risk it if you're more trouble alive."

Jet narrowed his eyes, offering his best threatening look. "Is this where you threaten me and my friends? "

"No. This is where I try to reason with you. You have to believe that my uncle and I are no threat to this city or anybody in it."

Jet leaned back against the brick wall, trying to look relaxed. "I know better. You're Fire Nation."

"We're refugees. We've lost everything to the war, just like all the other people who struggled to get here."

"You started it!"

Li shifted his stance, making Jet realize he'd snarled like a wounded wolf-bear and raised his fists.

"It's fine. I'm fine," he said. Li had already proven his fighting skills and had the advantage for now. Jet forced his body to relax, folding his arms and leaning back on the wall again to show he wasn't planning to fight. Not until he had a better chance, anyway. "Don't pretend your people didn't start the war."

"I'm not, but you have to understand. My uncle," he paused, either trying to formulate an argument or shape a believable lie.

"Take the mask off."

"Why?"

"I need to see your face."

Maybe Li understood, because he pulled the fabric up without comment. "Can I continue?"

Jet nodded.

"It's gone on too long, Jet. This war is poisoning everything it touches. My people may be the enemy, but day to day, who exploits refugees more? Who buys their last valuables for almost nothing, inflates the prices when they sell them supplies, then let them live on scraps once they reach what should be safety?"

The Freedom Fighter scowled. "Are you saying we deserve to lose the war because of how a few people act?"

"A few? Ever since we washed up in the Earth Kingdom I've seen the same things. I've even seen your soldiers rob or extort the civilians they're supposed to be protecting!"

"You're lying!"

"Refugees are told to move along when they look for help. They're mocked when they beg." There was a growl in Li's voice, outrage in his exposed face. "When they get here, to the seat of the Earth King himself, they're told that all their suffering meant nothing. It never happened!"

"The Fire Nation…"

"They're the enemy _._ Would you expect their help? Refugees should be able to expect better from their own people!"

"We aren't worse than you people," Jet said, trying to control his familiar rage.

"The war's poisoning us, too. I never imagined the kinds of crimes I've learned my people commit. It disgusts me. And I remember stuff I saw back home when I was a kid, stuff I was too young to understand. I get what's happening now and it needs to stop.

Jet stared at the quiet, intense youth before him. "Are you trying to say you're declaring war on both our countries? You and Mushi? "

"Huh? No, that's crazy!" Li was sputtering, struggling to keep his voice down, while Jet tried not to laugh.

It wasn't really funny. Just this was the boy he'd met on the ferry, as awkward as he was competent. The boy he'd liked enough to want in the Freedom Fighters.

Li scowled and Jet scowled back. Their burgeoning friendship had been another lie.

"Uncle doesn't want to fight anybody anymore. He just wants to live in peace, even if it is here. It has to be here." Li paused to take a deep breath before continuing. His rough voice trembled a bit when he said, "There are warrants for our death or capture in Fire Nation territory."

That surprised him. Mushi might be devious enough, but Li was just too earnest and direct to be a criminal. "What'd you do?"

"You heard that there was a failed attack on the Northern Water Tribe?"

At Jet's nod he went on. "We were there. The admiral in charge wanted to kill the Moon Spirit."

"That's impossible!"

Li shrugged. " It took the form of a fish, don't ask me why. Anyway, when Zhao attacked it my uncle tried to stop him. He sided with the Avatar against the Fire Nation."

"So you helped him?"

"No. In the Fire Lord's eyes I'm a failure. A disgrace. I guess declaring me a traitor's the easiest way to be rid of me."

Although the words were matter of fact, the misery, even shame, Jet heard in Li's voice were painful to hear. The grief in that expressive face was worse.

 _He's the enemy. I shouldn't feel this sorry for him,_ Jet thought, but he'd led the Freedom Fighters as much for his skill at reading people as any of his other talents.

Li was telling the truth.

"You're just hiding? Quitting? If we don't fight how can things get better? The Fire Nation will conquer everybody and then what happens? Everyone'll be running! At least the ones left alive."

Li seemed to flinch but he turned his head a little so Jet couldn't read his face as well. "Uncle trusts that the Avatar can bring balance back to the world."

"What about you?"

Those honey-colored eyes flew back to his, surprise clear to read in them. Jet realized that the hostility he couldn't seem to maintain toward Li had left his voice. He wondered what the fugitive saw in his face.

"I can't change the world. I can't even go home. If I could, I was never more than a joke to anybody. Nothing I could say would change what happens. No one would listen to me."

A sense of his own worthlessness permeated Li's words. Jet felt anger simmering through his body again, but this wasn't his comfortable rage against the Fire Nation itself. This was specific but as yet unfocused. Who had convinced someone with Li's talents and empathy that he was nothing?

Years of habit and experience insisted that he should reveal the enemy presence in Ba Sing Se, but he didn't want to see Li imprisoned or driven off by the Dai Li. Jet had never imagined not hating someone from the Fire Nation. "I don't know what to do."

"So you'll keep trying to expose us," Li said, his voice weary.

Jet couldn't explain why that was unthinkable, not even to himself. "You're convincing me not to."

He reached out, hand seeming to act of its own accord, to touch Li's scarred face. Li actually flinched as he stepped back.

"What do you want?" He sounded more panicked than confused.

Truth seemed to fold itself open in his mind like a young leaf, making Jet say, "You."

Li's eyes shut and his body sagged. The expression on his face twisted until a short, bitter bark of laughter forced itself out.

"Of course," Li said, "the great Freedom Fighter's no better than anybody else. Give you a little power over us and you'll use it. The way you've already gotten the Dai Li's attention, I couldn't kill you if I wanted to. It wasn't much of a bluff, was it?"

"Wait a minute…"

"Don't justify yourself. Why bother?" Li shrugged and shook his head. "I'm sick of being gullible. You want me? Fine, but if any harm comes to my uncle, if I find out you told anyone who we are, I will end you."

Angry words, and the anger was real enough, but Jet could see his disillusionment and hurt.

"I hope this is good enough," Li said, gesturing around the dim alley. "I won't bring you to the apartment."

They needed to talk, Jet decided, but not here, continuing as adversaries. "No. Let's…I live a few blocks away."

Li just nodded, looking resigned. It was approaching curfew so they avoided Dai Li patrols, traveling by alleys and staying in the darkness. Jet led the way, but Li moved so naturally, fluidly from shadow to shadow, that he got the strangest feeling that Li could have led him if he just named the street.

 _I'm good,_ Jet thought , _but this guy's a ghost!_ He comforted himself with the thought that in the woods his own skills would be superior. _Probably._

A flickering touch at his bicep alerted him to a pair of Dai Li turning toward their alley. His companion scurried up the wall, fingers and toes finding cracks in what Jet would have deemed a smooth surface. When Jet couldn't make it up, strong, gloved hands grabbed his. Li was upside down, gripping the roof with his lower legs and facing outward. Jet used his body as a ladder. Li's hands kept a grip on his clothes as he climbed. It was good to work with a partner he knew wouldn't let him fall, like back in the woods before the Avatar and his friends came.

He offered a hand when Li raised his torso, pulling him the rest of the way up. He'd replaced the dark mask for the journey, and who'd blame him with that pale skin, but his eyes seemed to offer silent thanks. _He's Fire Nation,_ Jet warned himself again, pointing and letting Li take the lead. Li was better at this urban movement and Jet was growing more desperate to talk. A lifetime's hatred was warring with Jet's instinctive trust. His confusion was making the few blocks they'd traversed feel like the two of them were crossing the continent instead.

The Freedom Fighters' building was an old one, their neighborhood a bit rougher than Li and Mushi's. When he pointed out their window, on the second of four floors, Li just leaped to the building's roof and glided down the wall. Jet followed, grateful for the windowsills Li avoided using.

Jet entered first, freezing when he heard Smellerbee whisper, "One chance to leave, buddy. We're armed and we hate getting woken up."

"It's me," Jet replied, staying framed by the window where they could see him. _I guess that's why Li stays off the sills_ , he thought.

A candle flickered to life. Longshot nodded a greeting in its dim light.

"Li's with me," Jet said, stepping aside to let him enter.

If his friends were surprised by the darkly clad figure they hid it well, though Smellerbee gave his lean frame a brief if appreciative second look. Jet supposed he couldn't blame her. Loose Earth Kingdom styles of clothing left everything to the imagination.

Longshot raised an eloquent brow. Jet sighed and replied, "Yes, I remember what I've been saying about him and his uncle. That's why he wanted to talk."

"What, you guys robbing houses while you talk?" Smellerbee asked, taking in Li's outfit again. Her grin lessened any sting they might have felt at her comment.

"I wait tables in a tea shop," Li said. His face, uncovered again, had reddened.

"Li thought if I saw him coming there'd be trouble again. I was watching their apartment, turned and there he was."

That earned Li a pair of respectful glances. Jet was usually the guy doing the surprising.

"He and I need to talk alone," Jet said.

"Now? We do have work in the morning, y'know."

Still, Smellerbee and Longshot took their blankets, lit a second candle to light their way, and slipped out of the apartment. There was a trapdoor leading to the roof at the top of the building's staircase. Tenants dried laundry up there and he'd been told it was a favorite sleeping spot on hot summer nights. It wasn't summer, but the night wasn't too cool, either. They'd slept in worse places.

Jet drew the curtain, which they rarely bothered doing since their window faced a blank brick wall. It felt right, like he was promising to keep Li's secrets.

He turned, watched Li staring at the tiny candle flame, and saw his proof that Li was a fire bender at last. The flame was rising and falling with his breaths, straight upward, not wavering sideways in the breeze created.

Jet swallowed. Li glanced up at the tiny sound, honey eyes meeting his. They held some of that determination he'd admired on the ferry. Refugee maybe, but neither downtrodden nor broken.

The fire bender took a quick pair of steps till they were almost touching. Those competent hands fumbled at the fastening of Jet's pants.

Jet caught his wrists carefully and stepped back, realizing he hadn't actually told Li they weren't going to have sex. "Easy," he said.

"I haven't done this often." Li's eyes left his again, a hint of his lacking confidence.

"Fine. We're not gonna do anything tonight but talk."

Bitterness crossed his face again. "If you're looking for state secrets I never learned any. I told you, my uncle and I are here because there's no place else for us to go."

"You told me. I believe you."

Li looked puzzled. "What else is there?"

"Your name, for one."

That eloquent face looked down, away from his own intense gaze. "Li's good enough."

"I said I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I don't think you did."

"Then I'm saying it now", Jet promised, " I'm not telling your secrets to anyone."

Behind his doubtful expression Jet could see the other boy's desire to believe him. "Your word of honor?"

"Yeah, and you already told me what'd happen if I got you and your uncle in trouble. Maybe we can skip the threats?"

Nodding, Li stepped back, freeing himself from Jet's grasp. He glanced around the long room, then took a seat at the square kitchen table. Jet took the opposite chair. _We need an extra seat in case we have a guest_ , he thought, mocking himself. _I wanted to be wrong. I wanted him with us_.

"Zuko," Li finally said. He looked like he expected to be hit and maybe thought he deserved it.

Jet frowned. Sure the name sounded Fire Nation, but there was something else, too. It kind of sounded familiar. He remembered guards' gossip, heard while the Freedom Fighters were journeying to Ba Sing Se. "The Fire Lord's son. They say you're a traitor, that his own brother is, too."

Li/Zuko nodded, clearly expecting an explosion of rage, but he'd already explained their crimes and shock overtook any remaining anger. "The Dragon of the West is in the city", Jet said, voice rising in astonishment. "Probably the most famous general in any country's army and he's brewing tea!"

Li shushed him anxiously. "Keep your voice down. Didn't I tell you he's sick of war? Serving people tea makes him happy. He makes people happy."

 _And he's happy because he's making them happy?_ Jet wondered. _Is that possible? The Dragon of the West!_

It was much more shocking than Zuko's own identity. The prince had been in disgrace for years, not that anyone he'd met claimed to know why. If the other boy seemed classy, he'd never seemed, well, regal. Used to better things than a refugee got, unwilling to bow and scrape, yeah, absolutely. Jet just couldn't imagine him hauled around in a palanquin, dressed by servants and put on display, like people said of the Earth King. He didn't disbelieve Li, but it felt unreal. "You aren't happy, not working as a waiter."

"I can live with it."

"You said that the war needs to stop. Was that just talk?"

Zuko hesitated. "Uncle believes in the Avatar."

"What do you believe?"

"I…mess up. I've made some stupid mistakes." He made mistakes sound like something shameful. "Uncle almost died because I was desperate to capture the Avatar. He's the only way to regain my honor. Was the only way. They call me a traitor now. Home will never be an option. We can have something here. My uncle is happy. I can't ruin his life again."

"What about you? You want to take action, I know it."

A thoughtful silence fell between them.

"I can't figure you out," Zuko admitted. "When you said what you did in the alley, it sounded", he swallowed and went on, "then you touched me like… but now you know who I am and you're talking like you did on the ferry."

Confused himself, Jet didn't know how to respond so he didn't.

Zuko continued into the silence, voice growing a little shaky. "I'm sorry. I misjudged and insulted you. It would be shameful to put you in the same category as, as some people I've met."

 _The kind who'd use a refugee's desperation against him_ , Jet thought, _to use him._

"Thanks," he said. He kept the anger out of his voice as well as he coul, but something just short of a flinch passed through Zuko's expressive body.

"I'm not mad, not at you," Jet said, feeling that strange, blooming feeling of truth again. The Fire Nation was dangerous, the monsters of his nightmares, but much of the reason he'd felt not rage but a sense of betrayal was that he'd felt a connection to Li right from the start." We saw some of what you're talking about on the way here. People like that disgust me. There are some bad people out there," he added. "They'll take whatever you've got. They even robbed my Freedom Fighters before we got together and became too strong to mess with. I also know some pretend to be nice. They offer a ride, food, help. You felt like you owed them, right?"

Zuko reddened when he realized what Jet was trying to say. "That isn't what happened! I never," he stumbled over the very word, "sold myself. I don't think I could ever…"

 _You almost did tonight_ , Jet thought, but was smart enough not say it aloud.

"We've all done stuff we wish we hadn't, Li. Zuko. Almost every person I've talked to did stuff they wished they hadn't to survive. Only if they hadn't, I never would've met them to talk to. See the problem?"

"I never," Zuko repeated, "Why do you keep talking about that stuff?"

"I want us to understand each other," Jet said. "I want you with my Freedom Fighters. I don't want us as enemies."

Zuko looked like he wanted to believe him but was still uncertain. He was so easy to read. Jet was glad that he wasn't because he was making guesses about the things Zuko didn't trust him enough to talk about yet. _He isn't ready. Maybe I'm not, either, not enough to tell Longshot and Smellerbee who he is. We need to learn to be able to trust each other._ "We can drop it if you want. We probably should. You'll want to get back to your uncle before sunrise, right?"

"Yeah. I should go. Thanks for listening to me." He actually bowed to Jet, all elegant and proper, before replacing the mask.

Jet restrained the amused grin that wanted to cross his face. "I wanted to."

Zuko slipped out the window and Jet stuck his head out to watch the shadow's graceful climb. Moments later it leaped to another rooftop and he lost track of it in the darkness.


	2. Baby Steps

Baby Steps

Jet decided to wait a few days before he went to see Li/Zuko again. He imagined they could both do with a cooling off period after the other night's revelations. A part of Jet's mind also hoped he'd return to sanity. Was he really going to let two of the enemy, from the royal family no less, settle down in Ba Sing Se?

The answer appeared to be yes, as long as one of the two was Zuko.

That bothered him a lot, especially that he was hiding something so important from Longshot and Smellerbee. Giving himself time only made him feel guilty but seeing the boy from the ferry taken by the Dai Li to his death wasn't tolerable. In the end he decided to trust his instinctive belief that Zuko could be one of them.

When he did go to see them, he waited until Pao's tea shop closed. After his last visit, he didn't expect to be welcome there anytime soon. Going to their apartment would be too pushy.

Jet stayed on the other side of the road. When Pao and his employees parted ways, he approached the Fire Nation fugitives. To be on the safe side he kept both hands visible.

General Iroh's hard, assessing eyes made him glad he did. Jet had to be impressed at how well the great soldier hid his true nature. Everyone who met him considered Mushi a sweet old guy, but right this moment he had a deadly, formidable aura.

Jet raised his empty hands, putting them together carefully, and did something he didn't have much practice doing.

He bowed deeply. As he raised his torso he said, "I want to apologize to you and Li and thank you both for talking to the Dai Li for me."

The old man's sharp eyes narrowed, giving Jet a bit of a chill. "You may thank my nephew. I intervened to assist him."

There was a subtle emphasis on that last word. The Dragon of the West wouldn't be trusting Jet any time soon.

"You're right. We talked the other day to settle things but I didn't thank him. You stood up for me like one of my Freedom Fighters would've", he said, turning his eyes to the prince. "That deserves more than gratitude. You've earned my trust, Li, more than once."

Zuko glanced toward his uncle but the general didn't look any more suspicious than he'd already been. Iroh knew that they'd worked together on the ferry to liberate edible food before the incident with the Dai Li.

That look told Jet he hadn't told his uncle what he intended to do when he sought Jet out that night. The old man didn't know that Jet was aware of their true names and that they were about as Fire Nation as you could be.

If Zuko didn't think General Iroh should know he'd revealed that much to Jet, Jet wasn't about to tell him. He decided he'd better keep this meeting short and polite.

The old man wasn't just sharp. He was a dangerous man who had everything to lose. He wouldn't understand that Jet couldn't take anything from him because Zuko would lose it, too. He couldn't have explained why that mattered to himself, let alone a suspicious enemy. Former enemy, he reminded himself.

"Anyway", he said, "I know you've been working all day so I won't keep you guys."

He started to turn away but Zuko's voice made him stop.

"Maybe", said, then hesitated. "I, uh, usually take a break around midday. If you aren't too busy maybe you could stop by.

Jet noticed Iroh's surprise only peripherally. He was too busy being surprised himself—and startlingly happy.

"I'm still picking work up day by day", he said, "but I'm sure I can find some time." His casual smile turned into a huge grin as he turned away. He remembered standing beside Zuko at the ferry's railing, saying that he knew they were the same. The prince hadn't disagreed. Jet thought maybe he'd felt the connection, too.


	3. Living In the City

Living In the City

Unlike the Fire Nation fugitives, who'd lucked into a job quickly, Jet still getting by on day labor. Most shop and warehouse owners welcomed extra hands on delivery days, but saw no reason to waste money paying those hands any other day.

Jet wasn't stupid. Business owners had to make a profit. He understood that, but some of those business owners were scum. The worst kind of exploiters, they worked the day laborers with less regard than they'd give a draft animal. No thought was given to safety, they were expected to work without rest until the job was done, and excuses were often found to dock their pitiful pay.

Jet was a Freedom Fighter. He'd been standing up to the Fire Nation's troops for years, so he wasn't afraid to demand decent treatment from some merchant. Would a brief rest for water, maybe something to eat, really reduce these guys to beggars?

He was secretly proud that some bosses had put the word out that he was trouble, but it did make finding a job harder.

Smellerbee had a manufacturing gig. They made expensive little timekeeping gadgets to be sold to people in the exclusive Inner Ring. Since she couldn't bring the boys to work, she'd had to describe the timekeepers the best she could. They were like complex little clocks but fancier. She'd actually put the miniature clocks in hair ornaments where the owner wouldn't be able to read the things!

For herself, Smellerbee claimed that the sun was more than a good enough way to measure time. It also had the benefit of not ticking or chiming.

Longshot had better luck with work than Jet had gotten, probably because he controlled his temper better. It helped that he didn't speak. Jet had gotten the impression that a couple of their day bosses had believed Longshot was too stupid to care how they treated him.

In fact, he'd just been hired by one of the better men they'd worked for. Having noticed that Longshot had patience and an eye for detail, qualities required in his line of work, he'd offered him a spot in his print shop. It sounded like a good deal to Jet. Prints were becoming really popular because copies were so much cheaper and easier to make than traditional handwritten scrolls and books. The hours would be regular and the pay was good.

He'd have time for the Freedom Fighters' growing interest in city politics, unlike Smellerbee. Her work days were so long they barely saw her.

She'd get home long after sunset, tend the tiny cuts and scratches that always covered her hands these days, eat a little and fall into bed. Jet found himself dreaming about burning that workshop to the ground more and more often.

Longshot had steady work. If Jet could find something, too, maybe they could convince Smellerbee to leave the cesspit that currently paid their rent.

Today's search had been disappointing so far. He'd helped set up a couple of merchants' booths in the early morning, but the pay for that was little more than a tip. He hadn't even gotten a rumor of someone hiring to follow up on.

It was heading for noon and he was considering a visit to the tea shop. He'd go around back to the delivery entrance where Zuko liked to catch his breath between the morning and afternoon rushes. Zuko didn't see the obsessive attraction of tea any more than Jet did, but he also said he knew how lucky he and Iroh had been. If they were doing well, it was because of his uncle's talents with tea and people.

Pausing to get his bearings, Jet noticed a thin, earnest looking young guy. Except for his thick black hair, his most notable feature was his clothing. He was too well dressed for this part of the city. It looked like he had some guts, though. He kept politely accosting people as they walked by, getting rejected repeatedly with indifference, headshakes and the occasional shove.

He hesitated when he spotted Jet watching, but Jet waved him over with a grin. "Say your bit. You've earned it by being persistent."

That earned him a relieved smile. "Thank you. I'm trying to tell people about an extremely important public forum, but nobody seems inclined to hear me out."

"I'm listening." Jet half-sat on a crate, crossing his arms in a way meant to look relaxed. He wasn't sure what this guy, who he read as either an aristocrat or rich, had in mind, but hoped it might do him some good. Maybe he was starting a business.

The guy was a student at the university. His group was trying to get people to go to a meeting tonight at sunset. A lot of businesses closed around that time so surely there'd be a large turnout, he claimed.

Jet managed not to laugh. They thought that after working all day, often without a break or a decent meal, people would want to go to some meeting?

"You offering refreshments?" he asked, keeping a friendly tone.

The skinny rich kid actually looked offended. "Certainly not! My group discourages the embrace of unhealthy vices like alcohol."

"I was thinking more along the lines of food, some hot tea. I mean, you're asking them to miss dinner."

"Oh."

Jet managed again to hold in his amusement. The dumbstruck look on his face implied that he hadn't even considered something as commonplace as food.

Well, if his clothes weren't proof enough, his expression is. This kid's never missed a meal, he thought, although the "kid" was years older than Jet. He decided out of pity to offer some advice.

He uncrossed his arms, letting them support his weight while he leaned back on the crate, all relaxed and unthreatening. "I'm Jet. What's your name?"

"Pan Beifong. Not those Beifongs", he added in a rush, "just a poor relation."

"Poor being relative", Jet replied, letting Pan see him eyeball that high priced outfit.

The look on Pan's face, so embarrassed and self-conscious, reminded Jet so much of Zuko that he had to let the poor guy off the hook.

"Look, I get that you want to help people. That's a good way to be. You don't need to be fancy. See all the street vendors selling food? Pay a couple to stay open late and feed whoever comes to your meeting tonight. Maybe get them to talk it up with people today. Since they'll be there to make some money, they'll also be there to hear your talk. That's the base of an audience right there."

Pan's face lit right up. "What a wonderful idea! Thank you. I can't believe we hadn't given any thought to that aspect. I feel so foolish."

"You haven't done meetings before, have you? Not in this part of Ba Sing Se."

"No, we've done student meetings before at the university, but it seems that that's different. You will come tonight, won't you?"

"Sure. I'll be there."

"The whole thing was a disappointment", Jet told his friends that night. "There wasn't any focus. Those guys were slumming rich kids, a bunch of students who couldn't even talk to their audience. No one could even agree what problems we should be trying to solve.

"Refugees are sick of being silenced. They don't like being ignored and exploited at the same time."

Longshot nodded. They knew all about the refugee experience. They were living it.

"People who were born here barely believe there's an outside world." Jet glared around the small table at his friends. "They see the refugees as the problem. The city's getting overcrowded, we're bringing a criminal element to their home, and we're bringing down wages and taking their jobs."

"So nobody talked about the bosses?" Smellerbee asked sleepily. "There's a factory down the road from my job where the owner locks everyone in all day. He says it's so nobody steals anything. I think he's just a bully."

"Just as another complaint. That crowd didn't do anything but talk in circles. Quite a few people just grabbed some dinner and left, they weren't hearing anything to make them stick around."

"Better get to bed", Smellerbee said, yawning. "If you guys wanna talk, keep it down, okay?"

She leaned on the table when she stood, like she needed the support.

"You didn't eat much dinner", Jet said. "Want something else, maybe one of those sweet buns?"

"I'm fine", the girl replied, lying on her bed in the nook that served as her room, "just tired. I'll eat a big breakfast."

Unless she's too tired then, too, Jet thought. Longshot and he shared a worried look as the archer pulled a blanket over the exhausted girl.

At least he's got a steady job now. I need more than this day by day stuff.

He closed the curtain on her sleeping nook, but he and Longshot didn't do any more talking. Both would rise early enough to feed their friend before beginning their own days, Longshot at work and Jet continuing his search.


	4. Baby Steps 2

Baby Steps 2

The midday sun shone down on the alley where Zuko and Jet were seated on crates. Although they were just next to the back door of Pao's tea shop, the one used for deliveries, it felt like a tiny island of quiet.

"You're having that hard a time?" Zuko handed his uncle's lunch box to Jet. The poor guy looked tired and frustrated and was probably starving after looking for work all day.

Jet hesitated. "What about your uncle?"

"A neighbor lady offered to make him some "real home cooking", so please take it. It isn't much", he added, opening his own lunch box. "I'm not really a cook."

Jet's startled expression was almost comical. "You made it?"

Zuko shrugged. "Eating from carts gets expensive pretty quickly and, frankly, a lot of them aren't even any good."

Jet nodded, grimacing in what Zuko suspected was a memory of digestive upset. They'd come to Ba Sing Se to get away from eating what amounted to garbage (At least in part, he allowed. Evading his sister and the military of every country in the world had been a higher priority. His stomach just forgot that sometimes.).

Jet took a cautious bite of one of the rice balls, which he'd stuffed with diced meat. Zuko looked away in case he didn't like it. What if he had to spit it out?

"I'm still experimenting", he said before biting into one of his own. To him, they weren't bad, better than his first attempts at cooking, anyway.

Jet was already tucking into a second one eagerly, although that was probably just hunger.

"They're good", he said when the second was gone. "Kind of spicy. The meat's familiar but I can't place it."

"They breed chameleon-snakes here in the city. It began during the siege." He'd lowered his voice, a habit he was picking up from older residents, and continued more normally. "Since they breed fast and don't get transported like regular livestock the meat's not expensive."

Jet laughed. "You're a better cook than you think. Chameleon-snake's one of the driest, nastiest critters in the Earth Kingdom."

"Domesticated ones are probably different", Zuko replied, but he felt himself smiling.

Something occurred to him. "You know, a couple of our customers were looking for help. One was offering a few days a week, the other's daily. If you stick around, at least one's bound to be in later. You could introduce yourself."

Jet's face brightened but then he frowned. "Your boss doesn't think much of me."

"He won't say anything if my uncle doesn't."

"The…Mushi doesn't like me much, either."

Jet slipped like that when they were alone, thinking of his uncle as the General, but he'd never slipped up in front of others that Zuko had seen. He was doing better than Zuko himself, who preferred using Uncle so he couldn't mess up.

He looked up at the sun, welcoming the light that was so much a part of any fire bender even if he couldn't practice his birthright. Like he was completely confident, he said, "I'll convince my uncle."

Iroh returned from lunch in high spirits.

"The widow is a wonderful companion", he said. "We will be going out for dinner later in the week. It is only proper that I thank her for this afternoon."

Funnily enough, he seemed disappointed when he found his lunch box empty. Zuko chose not to ask. Uncle's romances (Zuko tended to shudder at the plural, but there were two other women his uncle spent time with.) were really not his concern.

Explaining that he'd fed Jet lunch because he'd spent all day looking for work, Zuko added that he'd promised Jet an introduction to those customers who'd said they were looking to hire someone. Zuko felt bad about putting his uncle on the spot like that, but he knew Iroh would never force him to break his word.

Instead, he nodded with a resigned sigh. "You seem determined to associate yourself with Jet."

"I want to not worry all the time", Zuko replied. He was wiping tables, making sure they'd be ready when the shop reopened. He'd been glad to learn that Pao wouldn't be back until evening. He was attending a business owners' meeting, his uncle said.

Carrying the washrag and basin into the back, he added quietly, "Working means he stays busy, with no time to chase imaginary enemies."

"Are we imaginary?" Iroh asked, starting a fresh fire in the large metal stove. Since they were alone, he used fire bending.

Normally Zuko would have scolded him, but this time he let it pass. A quarrel wouldn't help Jet. "We aren't his enemies. Give him a chance to figure that out, please."

As soon as they opened the door the shop got busy and stayed that way most of the afternoon. Things slowed down a bit as evening approached.

Recognizing one of Jet's potential employers as he walked in, Zuko flashed a look out the window, beckoning quickly while the man's back was turned.

He took the man's order. As he returned to the table, he asked, "So, have you found someone to help out in your warehouse?"

"Not yet." He took a big gulp of tea that would have made Uncle Iroh wince and sighed. "There are too many unreliable people. I did hire someone but he tried stealing a box on his first day. His very first day, can you imagine?"

"That's incredibly stupid", Zuko said, a quiet part of him noting that the machine parts this man traded in couldn't even be sold on the street. "Why throw his chance away like that?"

That earned a weary headshake. "Stupid is about right. The worst part was telling his father why I wouldn't be keeping him on."

"You know the family?" He nearly asked if the thief had been ashamed, at least, but Jet slipped in the door and Zuko quickly escorted him to the counter and took his order. He gave the other teen a confident nod but didn't want to introduce him yet.

Zuko didn't want the word thief lingering in the air when he introduced his fellow refugee.

When he checked with the trader, the man ordered another drink, but added a strange comment.

"Shame you're an apprentice tea maker, Li. Everyone speaks well of you."

"I'm not, that is, I just serve tea. I don't share Uncle's gift for brewing it."

That earned him an interested look. "You might take on something else then?"

Like the warehouse job? That was actually tempting, the idea of not being a server, but being surrounded by other workers, and seeing daylight for more than brief periods…

Jet really needed it.

"I'm fine with Uncle Mushi for now", he said. "My friend Jet needs something steady, though."

"Jet. That's not a common name. A fellow I know mentioned someone who'd done some day labor for him. Young, a recent arrival?"

"We arrived on the same ferry. " What could Jet have done? Zuko wondered, sensing the trader's sudden caution. "He has done a lot of day work but that isn't reliable enough."

"I was told he could be difficult. Jet's a friend of yours, though?"

Amazed that being linked to him could possibly benefit Jet, he nodded. "He's not afraid to work hard but he's independent. He's very opinionated and doesn't like being talked down to."

"I see." He was nodding to himself, maybe thinking what the person who'd spoken badly of Jet was like.

"Jet's actually good at planning stuff out. He'd be valuable to a boss who treated him right."

The fellow's mouth opened, then fell shut while he scrutinized Zuko with intense interest. The prince realized he wasn't addressing this man like a proper server. He was speaking like their positions were equal.

Zuko was composing an apology in his head, hoping he hadn't attracted trouble for them all, when the trader said, "I'd like to meet this Jet."

He bowed, feeling almost dizzy with relief. "Could you speak with him now? He's the young man at the counter."

"Send him over."

He did, taking an order from a pair if new arrivals on the way and clearing a table. Zuko worked hard at not watching the interview. Jet had his chance. If there was one thing the Freedom Fighter was, it was persuasive.

Four steady shifts a week, Jet told him before he left. Pure joy lit his face while he thanked Zuko.

Later, while they prepared their evening meal, Iroh said thoughtfully, "Perhaps you can manage Jet, after all, nephew."

Zuko didn't answer. It would be hard to explain that he didn't want to handle Jet like a problem. On the ferry, Jet had said they were the same. He had a crazy desire to renew that connection honestly, as his real self.

Iroh would remind him how dangerous Jet could be to them, how angry he was beneath his laid back surface.

Zuko knew all that and probably understood that part of Jet better than his uncle would like. He wanted to be Jet's friend.

He just couldn't do anything about the greatest obstacle. He couldn't stop being Fire Nation.


	5. Free Time

Free Time

"I stopped by the shop but Pao said he gave you the day off."

Jet walked in as soon as Zuko stepped back to allow him, looking much too pleased with himself.

"I worked a few extra shifts. Uncle's the one who should get some rest, but if he's not there Pao might as well not open."

"You're kidding." Jet scowled around the just cleaned front room like it offended him, but Zuko didn't see how that was possible. Even the floor shone in the early afternoon sun pouring through the front window.

Nor should his mentioning Uncle Iroh bother Jet. "You know I'm right about Pao's. I'm amazed he stayed open long enough to hire us."

Jet chuckled, making Zuko suspect he's sounded uptight and defensive. Jet seemed to find it hilarious when he got like that.

"What're you talking about? I was just standing here thinking how sad it is. You've got the whole day for yourself and what do you do? Housework."

"It needed to be done. Did you think our rent included maid service?"

"Sorry." Jet sounded more amused than sincere. "Did you really need to wash the walls?"

Zuko felt his face heat up in a blush and snapped, "If you can see the difference, the answer's yes."

Embarrassed into explaining himself, he continued, "I got sick of dust and filth on the way to the city. When we moved in this place was dingy and it's been bothering me, all right?"

Crossing his arms, he glared. "Feel free to laugh. Get it out of your system."

Jet didn't laugh. Looking around with a little smile, he said, "I bet you didn't even sleep late."

It didn't sound like mockery. Jet still seemed amused, but there was something else, too. Was that respect? Too bizarre, Zuko thought. I still can't figure this guy out.

"Do you want some tea?" he asked, recalling his duty as a host. Embarrassed, he recalled that the only other refreshment in the cabinets was a package of crackers.

Before he could offer, Jet shrugged. "No thanks. Why don't you come see a new part of town with me?"

Pausing to think, Zuko said, "I have to buy groceries, but the laundress said not to expect our things to be ready before sunset. You don't mind if I shop while we're out, do you?"

Jet grinned, shrugging again. "If it gets you out of here for a while, let's do it."

He smiled a bit himself. "I might know the city better than you think."

Outside, with urban noise to distract any listener, Jet seemed to feel safe saying, "I've seen you in the dark, remember? That when you do your exploring?"

The Dai Li were strict about the city's curfew, at least in poor parts of Ba Sing Se, but Zuko didn't hesitate to nod. Jet would understand. He'd probably broken the curfew more than once himself.

"I've been uneasy for a long time", Zuko said, a glossed over description of his life on every nation's Most Wanted list. "I feel like I need to know this place."

"Ways out?" Jet murmured.

"Yeah." Talking like this, free of secrets, was exhilarating. However their backgrounds differed, however they'd come to be here, Jet understood him on a fundamental level.

He was being led in the opposite direction he normally took to work. Zuko guessed that was why Jet assumed it would be unfamiliar. Smirking around that bit of straw he always seemed to have in his mouth, the Freedom Fighter said, "Some places have a dispensation from the curfew, and some of the other rules, too. They have certain _privileges_."

"Why?"

Jet gave him a cheerful wink. "Important men are still men."

Zuko froze. Jet walked on a few steps before noticing he was alone. He turned.

"Just where are you taking me?" The fire bender and prince was ashamed of the poorly concealed panic in his voice.

Jet walked back, standing closer than Zuko normally let anyone get. He had a sharp, too-aware expression on his face, like he saw things on Zuko's that Zuko'd rather no one ever see. The Freedom Fighter said, "I won't take you anyplace you'll be uncomfortable. We can't get into the places that'd bother you the most, anyway. We're under age."

The last phrase had a sarcastic tinge that Jet always used when he spoke about the city's most absurd laws. Zuko managed a tight little grin in response. This was another point where they agreed. Ba Sing Se had a lot of absurd laws.

They continued walking. "You're talking about brothels."

Imagining the people trapped in those places left him feeling revolted and angry. He couldn't risk losing control, though, so he tried to follow the advice his uncle repeatedly gave him and think things through. Maybe they aren't trapped, he told himself, resisting the outrage that made him want to do something reckless and destructive. It could be like any other job, and safe, and they go home to their families tired, but only the way waiting tables makes me tired.

Jet was reading him again, he could tell, and wished for at least the thousandth time that he had just a scrap of his sister's talent for deception. Jet never looked at him with the contempt Azula had often shown, though.

"There are brothels. There are also shops and something called gentlemens' clubs. I figured we could walk around and look. A couple of those places have hilarious stuff in the windows."

He badly wanted to play along. "Really?"

Jet waggled his eyebrows. Lowering his voice didn't hide the amusement as he said, "Like "stimulants"."

The very word made him ill, the uses they could be put to too upsetting for him to think about,so he tried not to. Zuko envisioned late day sunlight reflecting off the endless ocean while he leaned on a ship's railing, no land anywhere in sight. Even in exile that image of two elements blending and becoming one had soothed him. In his darker moods, he suspected that was yet another reason he wasn't a fire bending genius like the rest of his family. Zuko decided not to pursue that depressing line of thought.

"Let's go laugh at those windows."

Grabbing his arm with a smile, Jet pulled him along before he could change his mind.

The two of them stood out. Their clothes weren't stylish or expensive like the people around them,. Not that there were many. The few people were overwhelmingly men old enough to be the boys' father or even grandfather.

Ba Sing Se being a conservative city, there were few hints on the outside that this was a red light district. Zuko spotted the signs of secrecy, though. Some of the discreet buildings were windowless on the first floor. A number of doors held small openings at eye level.

Did customers need a password? Did they hold up their passports to prove their age?

Maybe they hold up their money, instead, he thought.

He noticed that they were attracting attention. He and Jet were too young and poor to belong here. Pitching his voice low, he said, "We should go."

"Why? We aren't bothering anybody and it's nowhere near curfew."

"People keep looking at us."

"We're an eye catching couple of guys."

Zuko stifled his anger. Jet wasn't a fugitive whose face appeared on wanted posters all over the world. Jet could swagger and be amused when people stared at him. He ducked his head, hoping his hair had gotten long enough to conceal his scar somewhat. "I can't risk any attention, Jet."

Jet gave him an irritated sidelong look. "You're overreacting. You know that, right? No war means no wanted posters of certain people. Not in this city. Besides, if anyone would've recognized you it would've been me, and I didn't suspect what you were without that clue.

Uncle Iroh bending his tea, Jet meant, and he was making sense. If anybody was obsessive enough to study the faces of Fire Nation criminals, it was Jet.

Lots of people in the Earth Kingdom have burn scars, he thought, fighting off the guilt that followed it. He let Jet lead him to a shopfront with narrow windows on either side of its door.

The Freedom Fighter cocked his head, clearly ready for a laugh at his expense. "Take a look."

When he peeked and jerked right back, his reaction must have been precisely what Jet had hoped, given the way he snickered.

Knowing his face must be red, Zuko leaned closer to scrutinize the shop's interior. There were the scandalous garments he'd first noticed. Mostly for women, they made a Fire Nation bathing suit seem modest. There were weirdly shaped objects that he realized with shock were based on human genitals, mostly penises.

"Hilarious, right?" Jet was chuckling, but only by courtesy because men didn't giggle. "Check out the table by the wall."

That one held jars and bottles. A sign promised that any of the offerings would increase virility,"improving endurance and performance". He'd probably have laughed but the sign had a picture of a woman's face as well. He supposed she was meant to look overjoyed, but to his eyes she was screaming.

Disturbed, he looked away and realized that a very proper looking middle aged man was glaring at them. He told Jet, "The owner doesn't want us here."

"He should be friendlier. We could be customers in a few years."

"Maybe we're scaring real customers away today." Zuko hadn't told Jet that Pao still didn't like him coming to the tea shop. Luckily, Jet wasn't so excited by tea that Zuko couldn't draw him away by mentioning food or an interesting street performer.

"I should go in and ask if he's hiring." Jet seemed to be enjoying Zuko's discomfort as much as the merchant's irritation. "Think employees get better prices?"

"No. He probably charges more because he has to restock", Zuko retorted.

Jet's loud, carefree laughter made Zuko want to punch him.

There was a chuckle by the doorway. The shopkeeper stood there, eyeing them both more indulgently than he had been. "I like the way you think, son."

Zuko controlled an instinctive flinch at the word.

"I was going to tell you boys to move along, but why don't you come inside a bit and satisfy your curiosity? There's nothing wrong with healthy curiosity, after all."

"No! We're so sorry, sir. We'll, uh, go away now. Sorry."

Jet said, "My friend's joking. We'd love to look around. Come on, Li."

He practically dragged Zuko inside, head pivoting like he wanted to see everything at once. Zuko, on the other hand, tried to not to notice anything at all.

Jet picked up one of the jars from the table, snorting when he read the label. Giving the shopkeeper a knowing look, he said, "Rub it on? Is this a scam or what? Rub anything on it and..."

Desperate for a distraction, Zuko turned to the wall behind the counter where there was a metallic glitter.

Slim lengths of chain linked bands of metal or leather. There were collars and things that he suspected were gags. Disgust and anger began to fill him, to fuel his chi in a way that would let him destroy this place and every other like it.

"Kids like you don't need any help, but once a man's lived a few years a little imagination can do wonders." Seemingly amused himself, the man replaced the jar on the table.

"We should go." Zuko heard the harsh note in his voice and warned himself not to act on the anger. He and his uncle had too much to lose. There was no place left to go.

"What is it?" Jet sounded concerned, not bothered that Zuko was spoiling his fun. Once again, he seemed to see under Zuko's skin.

If he was with Zuko, and Zuko did something incredibly stupid like fire bend in this protected district, Jet would be ruined, too. He took a calming breath and said, "I'm not comfortable."

His voice was still wrong, cold and flat, but Jet nodded. "So let's go."

The merchant was giving him an assessing look. Zuko tried to ignore him, but he addressed the boys calmly. "The bondage stuff bothers a lot of people."

"Why sell it? How is it even legal to sell the means to imprison people?"

"It's a game. No one's really a prisoner. They have rules they follow."

Zuko snorted, not even trying to hide his disbelief. "It sounds like an easy game to lose."

Unease and a little bit of fear were beginning to enter the older man's face. It made the teen feel better, calmer, but also a little ashamed. Jet touched his wrists with just his fingertips. "You wanted to leave, right?"

Zuko ignored him. "How is this "game" supposed to work? That stuff's got only one purpose so it's easy to abuse. Can you honestly say nobody uses it to hurt people?"

The merchant went behind the counter. He brought back a sturdy looking set of shackles. "By law, it has to be possible to escape. See these little catches here and here? The prisoner can free himself. It's safe, you see?"

He still looked nervously at Zuko, but he looked concerned, too. Was there something about Zuko's all-too-readable face? Slowly, he raised a shackle and snapped it shut on the adolescent's wrist. It took a little maneuvering to hit the catch, but once he found the trick it snapped open easily. He handed it back and bowed. "Thank you for explaining and for showing us your shop."

He glanced at Jet. "Did you see all you wanted?"

"Yeah. I think I'm ready for some daylight." Jet gave the man a friendly nod and they left.


	6. I Can't Risk Any Attention

I Can't Risk Any Attention

They didn't head directly home. It would have felt too much like a defeat. Instead, Zuko allowed Jet to lead him on a roundabout route away from the red light district. They passed through a neighborhood of apartment buildings that probably served that area.

It looked ordinary, more prosperous than where he and his uncle lived, the buildings newer, with fewer residences in each, but not really rich. Shops in this neighborhood also differed from the area he lived in. A number of them were solely devoted to women's clothing. That must be because of the men's clubs and brothels, he supposed. Most workers would be female and expected to look good at their job.

The local women they passed didn't look abused or miserable as a group, which eased his earlier anxiety. Maybe the Dai Li's tight grip on daily life actually served a valuable purpose around here. There might be rules like the shopkeeper they'd met had spoken of, preventing the excesses frequently caused by lawlessness.

He was still troubled by the memory of some Earth Kingdom soldiers he'd encountered when he separated from Uncle Iroh. They'd been no better than thugs, preying on the villagers they were intended to protect. He knew Fire Nation troops abused their power, but they were dealing with conquered enemies so there had to be bitterness on both sides. He'd wished that he could be heir again to remind them of the need to behave honorably. Instead, Zuko resorted to dishonest means himself, taking up the blue mask that made others call him the Blue Spirit. Later, as a fugitive with no mask, he'd tried to help a civilian family who'd been kind to him.

He'd revealed himself as prince and fire bender in the process. Even though he'd helped them, the faces of the boy and his mother filled with loathing. Her hate had been tempered by helpless fear even as she tried to shield her son. Hurt and angry as the gesture made him, he never felt the slightest impulse to harm them. He still wished he hadn't taken Li's name for his alias. It was a daily reminder of yet another day he wished that he could forget.

There was a lesson in that encounter he didn't intend to forget. The century of violence had corrupted all sides. It created a lawless attitude that allowed cruelty and indifference to flourish throughout the Earth Kingdom's vast continent.

What astonished him was, people in Ba Sing Se were just as fearful as the villagers in that small, insignificant town had been. Although the war was ignored inside its walls, city dwellers almost universally feared their protectors, the Dai Li.

He kept telling himself it wasn't his concern, but Ba Sing Se was as much a home as he could hope to have. If he did build a life here like Uncle Iroh wanted, it couldn't be a useless one. He had to hide and live in fear, but his neighbors shouldn't need to feel the same. Feeling trapped between the need to stay unseen and his desire to take action, Zuko craved the mask he'd worn on too few occasions. It had freed him to act in secrecy, but it was lost with the ship where he'd begun his exile.

 _I don't even know what needs to change_ , he told himself. _I'm new here, new to the rules. Uncle seems happy. Maybe I'm just looking for problems._ He looked at Jet, who knew who he was and accepted him anyway. He seemed to like the city even with its flaws.

 _I'm oversensitive_ , he told himself, _just like after I was burned._

Though told it was all in his mind, there had been moments even months later when the burned skin felt like it was still on fire. When the bandages were first removed, he'd found himself hypersensitive in a different way. He'd adapted to the lack of stimulus on that side. Now he had to see through both eyes again and they weren't the same. His left eye's vision was still a touch blurry. He assumed after all this time that it was permanent, but felt that he'd gotten off lightly. He could have lost the eye. His hearing was actually harder to adjust to. Once the bandages were off his hearing on the left was exceptionally good, almost to the point of pain.

He'd had to restart his fire bending training from the very beginning. At least the physical problems helped him conceal the worst one. Father had taught him to fear his element. Uncle Iroh probably suspected. He'd been a much more patient teacher than Zuko's childhood trainers had been. Between the family's reputation for powerful bending and Azula's dazzling talent, he'd had a very high standard to meet. Zuko failed more often than he met it.

Jet's shoulder bumped his. "Stop brooding."

So the bump had been no accident, even though the streets were growing more crowded and busy.

Zuko sighed and raised his head. He worried constantly, brooded too much and didn't know how to have fun. Why did Jet spend so much time with him? Looking around in hopes of a distraction, his eyes met the dark ones of a young woman with an infant in her arms. He wanted to look away but she was already walking toward him and Jet.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Good afternoon."

"Hello."

Seeming to sense potential trouble, Jet's eyes shifted between the two of them. Zuko couldn't reassure him in front of her, all he could do was end this quickly while wishing they'd gone to any other part of the city instead.

"You're all right", he said to her. "You had your baby, too. It's well?"

"She's wonderful", she replied, a radiant smile breaking over her face. "Would you like to hold her?"

He stepped back, flapping his hands as if to show how clumsy they were. "No thank you. I'm glad you made it here."

"Yes. Thanks to you." Her smile disappeared and her face crumpled like she was about to cry. "I shouldn't have..."

He cut her off. "It's okay. You're fine and so is your daughter. So am I."

Seeming to understand that he didn't want to talk, she mustered a weak smile. "I'm working at a spa in the Inner Ring. Rich ladies enjoy mud facials and scalp massages, you know?"

He didn't, but he didn't want to encourage the conversation. "I work in a tea shop."

"Which one?"

She brightened when he told her, asking how to get to the famous Pao's. He gave the directions reluctantly.

When they parted, Jet said, "You didn't say your uncle was the tea master they're all so excited about. You didn't introduce me, either."

Zuko turned to look at him, unable to explain his awful rudeness toward his only friend. The reason was there, but the words wouldn't come. "I'm so sorry, Jet."

There was another one of those moments where the Freedom Fighter seemed to peel back his skin and peer into all his secrets. Jet said, "You don't want to be around her. Maybe you can tell me why someday."

He turned, tugging Zuko's arm to make him follow but releasing him quickly, like he knew Zuko was feeling thin-skinned.

 _JET_

Jet was already wishing he'd butted in and asked the young mother her name and how she knew his friend. He'd hesitated, worrying that she might know Zuko by a different alias than he used in Ba Sing Se, and lost the opportunity. Even as he was deciding that Zuko wasn't panicking so it was probably safe, she was gone. _I'll look for her sometime_ , Jet promised himself, but Zuko looked depressed so he decided that distracting his friend was more important.

"I've picked up work around here", he said. "There's a market close by. The vegetables are usually good and some of the booths have interesting stuff."

Zuko gave him a thin smile. The grave nod of thanks he offered looked more sincere.

It was kind of fun watching the prince shop, bargaining carefully. The root vegetables available seemed to excite him way too much. "We've got to get you out more often", Jet said, shaking his head.

"You know how fast things go bad", Zuko replied. He held up an onion. "Stuff like this lasts longer. I don't have to do as much daily shopping if there are staples in the house."

Carrying his canvas sack of vegetables, he walked over to a selection of smoked and salted meats. Jet looked at the posted prices. "Kind of expensive."

"It won't go bad right away, either. I was thinking of something for emergencies."

"Like if you work an extra shift and it's too late to shop", Jet said, but he really thought, _Like if you have to run again_.

Zuko made a couple of choices, then pointed to a pile of flat metal boxes. "Is that tinned pelican-eel?"

The salesman admitted that it was and couldn't manage to hide the fact that nobody else had expressed any willingness to try the stuff. Zuko managed to get him down to less than half the price, carefully inspecting each tin for dents or signs of age before buying three.

His shrewd bargaining attracted the attention of a pair of women who bought one more each at the same price. The meat seller looked pleased at selling so much of his unpopular product at once.

Jet wanted to laugh but settled for a restrained smile. Both women had cornered Zuko to ask what one did with the pelican-eels once they opened the tin. He explained how he'd seen them prepared, emphasizing the need to rinse off the salty brine they were preserved in, though he'd seen it used, diluted, for soup stock.

 _He must've been a housewife in his last life_ , Jet thought.

Next Zuko paused by a cart selling herbs and spices. "I'm spending too much."

"I could lend you some. That boss you found me pays pretty good."

Zuko flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks, but I have some money left. I just don't want to be wasteful."

The two of them looked the small jars over for a frugal choice. Jet found himself amazed that preserving and transporting stuff raised the price so much. Zuko picked up a jar with a picture of some spiky red plant painted on its side. Jet wondered if it was something they used in the Fire Nation. Before Jet could think think of the right wording to discreetly ask the trader about it, there was a crash on the other side of the plaza.

"I've been here almost a year!" The words were shouted by a bearded man. He wasn't very tall but had the kind of muscles one got from a lifetime of physical labor. He kicked over a crate, scattering more fruit across the ground. "Why doesn't the Earth King do anything? The Fire Nation took my farm. They destroyed my village! We all lost everything." The farmer sounded almost tearful. "He won't even talk to his people."

Although the listening crowd looked nervous, Jet spotted nods and heard mutters of agreement from some. Jet decided he was one of them.

"He's right", he said, pitching his voice to carry.

"Don't do this", Zuko whispered.

A thin woman, almost completely gray-haired, said, "It's true. We asked for an audience when we came to the city four years ago. My husband was an officer in that man's army for thirty years, but he didn't have time for the likes of us."

"You weren't important enough", Jet said, sneering.

"Who is?" shouted the farmer.

Zuko seemed to cringe at the bitter laughter around them, but Jet found himself caught up with the others. They were as disillusioned with the Earth Kingdom's greatest city as he was. "Aren't you sick of being ignored?" he yelled.

A low voice growled in his ear. "Stop this before you start a riot."

Jet shook Zuko off, excited by the sounds of agreement around them. A few men were hurling merchandise to the ground, spilling fabric, trinkets and food indiscriminately. A girl about their age grabbed a jar from the spice cart and threw it at the nearest wall. A sharp, peppery scent filled the air when it shattered. She tossed her braided hair back and yelled, "When will he listen?"

"When we make him!" The bearded farmer grabbed a long knife from a kneeling knife sharpener's hand. He'd been working serenely on his striped blanket, the rhythm of his whetstone a steady background sound in the busy plaza. Now the old guy stared up at the younger and stronger man in dumb fear.

"That is enough!" Zuko stared down the farmer, walking right toward him. "Give the knife back. Look how you're scaring that poor old man."

He turned his contemptuous glare on the other rowdies in the crowd. "The rest of you can't possibly think that messing up these people's property will get you an audience with the Earth King. Pick up that stuff. If you ruin it how can they make a living? How can anyone buy it?"

"Everything costs too much!" A young man, his hair strikingly pale, was shoving small objects into his pockets. "We should take whatever we need!"

"That's not..."Jet began to say, but Zuko already had the would-be thief pinned face-first to a wall.

"Give it back. All of it." He addressed the crowd again. He sounded less angry but still spoke with authority. "You haven't sunk low enough to rob your neighbors, have you? None of us is rich. That's no excuse for shaming ourselves."

Zuko released the young man. who began emptying his pockets and returning things to their owners. Jet noticed that he looked more sullen than ashamed. He hadn't been taking necessities, either, just a couple of knick-knacks and some beaded jewelry.

Zuko noticed, too. He leaned close and said something quietly to the older youth, whose face went pale and fearful.

Jet became aware that the moment was over. The red-faced farmer had returned the knife to the old man with a muttered apology. Others were picking up their messes, the pig-tailed girl wincing when she was told the cost of the jar she'd broken. She paid, though.

He couldn't help feeling a wave of disappointment. Today was the first time he'd seen any sign of defiance toward Ba Sing Se's strict leadership. Coming to the city, he'd dreamed of somehow helping the war effort at the very heart of his country's defense. Instead, he found a population as oppressed as any he'd seen in Fire Nation controlled territory. The war, he'd been told, didn't exist inside the city walls.

The prince finished picking up the last of the fruit spilled by the farmer. The cart's owner offered him several pieces but he shook his head, handing the woman a coin before putting them in his sack.

Jet couldn't muster any anger toward him. Zuko had good reason to avoid conflict, after all. Watching him, Jet suddenly understood something vital about his friend. Zuko hadn't spoken up because he was worried about the Dai Li or being arrested and recognized. He'd been worried that someone was going to get hurt.

The realization made Jet feel shortsighted and small. The crowd had been turning nasty. Some merchants would have felt driven to protect their livelihoods. Recalling the knife in the farmer's hand, he thought, _Somebody could've been killed_.

Nobody talked to Zuko, but they seemed to watch his every movement covertly. No one looked afraid anymore, either. The glances held gratitude and relief.

He spotted only two exceptions. The pale haired thief looked like he wished he had the guts to pick a fight. The spice throwing girl looked dreamy eyed.

 _I'm glad this isn't our part of town. Either of them would have a hard time tracking him down. Ba Sing Se is huge._ He felt himself grinning and walked over to the other teen. "Good thing you don't want to be noticed."

Alarm crossed the prince's face. "Nothing happened. Everyone calmed down, right?"

He sounded desperate for reassurance, so Jet put an arm around his neck and pulled him close. They were face to face. "You did good", he said. "Nobody's hurt, everyone's calmed down, it's nice and quiet."

Zuko's eyes shut as he took in Jet's words. He sighed, breath warming Jet's mouth.

Jet's own breath caught and he drew away. They'd been so close, so in sync at that moment, that he'd been tempted to lean in and kiss his friend. Zuko was so skittish that acting on his impulse might have ruined the trust they were beginning to build.

Since Zuko immediately started to look anxious again, Jet grabbed a fresh piece of straw from a nearby cabbage cart and put it between his lips. "Got all your groceries?"

"Yeah."

As they turned away, the guy from the spice cart rushed over. He held out a small package to Zuko. who said, "You're mistaken. I didn't buy anything."

"My spices could have been ruined. Others could have lost their wares, too. "Take it, please."

The prince looked embarrassed. "I can't."

"Thank the nice man, Li. You've still got laundry to pick up, right?"

"Yes, but I didn't pay..."

"Take it", the spice seller repeated. "Just be careful with the red paste in the orange jar. It's very hot so a little is plenty."

Zuko accepted the package and bowed. "Thank you very much."

Jet decided that their day out had become too much for Zuko so he headed back to their own part of town.

Zuko bought some fresh boarfish and other things on the way back to the apartment. Jet bought three servings fried rice from a cart, knowing that it would reheat well and was actually really tasty. Zuko gave him a disapproving glance. He'd said that the Freedom Fighters should learn to feed themselves until Jet pointed out that they'd done that for years and were enjoying their newfound freedom from having to.

They put Jet's dinner in the ice box, a city innovation Jet admired. It was practical and made ordinary people's lives easier. Too bad the Earth Kingdom didn't produce water benders. The ice inside the insulated cabinet was the most expensive part.

Since there was still time before he had to pick up laundry, Zuko decided to start preparing dinner. Slicing the boarfish into strips, he rubbed a mixture of spices into the meat, including more of that red stuff than Jet thought was prudent. They'd been warned that it was strong.

Jet tasted a tiny amount of the spice mix from the edge of the bowl, then yelped, gasping and fanning his mouth. His eyes were tearing.

Zuko put something in his hand. "Eat up. It'll help with the heat."

Jet bit down eagerly. It was bread smeared with soft cheese and it did seem to help.

"Better?"

Jet finished the bread and licked his fingers. Smiling, he said, "You are such a housewife."

Zuko gave him a scowl. "Excuse me? I didn't tell you to stick your finger in the bowl."

"Just teasing", Jet fibbed. "Sorry. You really plan to eat that stuff?"

"No. I enjoy cooking things and not eating. What do you think?"

"I've never tasted anything that hot."

Zuko was already calmer. The guy just couldn't stay mad. "It's nothing like we used back home. The flavor's interesting, though."

He turned to wash his hands in the sink , then put a towel over the bowl of meat.

Jet decided not to have heard the mention of Zuko's home. "That stuff has a taste? I couldn't tell past the inferno on my tongue."

"It's getting late", Zuko said with a glance at the window. "I'd better pick up the laundry while that marinates."

"I won't hang around for a dinner invitation", Jet said, "but you wouldn't mind if I walk with you, do you?"

Zuko's smile made Jet think that he was over the day's troubling events, after all. _Zuko's tough_ , he reminded himself. _He's been through worse days_ _before, just like me and the others._


	7. Tired Little Girls

Tired Little Girls

Zuko left for work before sunrise. Pao was expecting a delivery and wanted Li there to unload crates. He'd decided that his waiter was reliable enough that he could sleep in and Mushi, of course, was too important to the shop to risk throwing his old back out. Zuko didn't mind much. It gave him time alone and showed a measure of trust on Pao's part.

The sun hadn't touched the horizon yet. It wouldn't be high enough to shine over the city's walls for quite a while. Not many people were out this early, but he spotted a small, slow-moving figure ahead. Zuko shifted a little further into the road and tried to walk louder. He didn't want the person, probably a woman, to think he was following them.

He overtook the figure easily, noticing as he passed a metallic glint below her hand. Going armed was a smart precaution if she had to be out this early on the empty streets.

"Li?"

The voice was Smellerbee's. He slowed and turned. As she got closer, he wondered if she was going to see a doctor. Her face was wan and she moved with none of the ease and energy he recalled from their time on the ferry. "Can I help you get somewhere?" he asked.

If the girl wasn't well, Pao would probably understand his running a little late for the delivery, but Smellerbee bristled like a porcupine fox. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm going to work."

Her scowl held only a shadow of its former ferocity, which worried him even more. "Sorry. I had an early shift and you were here and I thought maybe you needed help carrying stuff wherever you're going?"

The fierceness faded. "You're a crummy liar. Do I look sick or something?"

"Just tired", he replied, trying to sound unconcerned, "but it's early and kind of dark. You probably can't see my face too well, either."

"You look more awake than I feel", she said, "and I don't think I remember what people look like in daylight."

As he walked with her, she told him about her job. The employees were mostly young and female because their small hands were well suited to the precise work they did assembling miniature time pieces. It was repetitive and tiring and a tiny slip could ruin their labor. Mistakes were costly, too. Their pay could be docked for damaged pieces.

 _I thought day work sounded bad_ , he thought, remembering talks he'd had with Jet. _This sounds worse._

"I hate going home nights", she told him. "They started searching us a couple of weeks ago."

"Searching you?"

"Head to foot, really thoroughly. Those dumb gadgets are worth a lot of money. Of course, the guards don't seem to mind." Her voice was dull, resigned.

His hands tightened into fists, that tone and the sight of her slumped shoulders making him angry. This girl was a war orphan. She'd taken on enemy soldiers, even fire benders, and remained fiercely self-confident. Working in a factory in Ba Sing Se was crushing her spirit. What was wrong with this city?

"I should be glad I don't work for that guy", she said, waving toward a tall building he found incredibly ugly. The few high, narrow windows evoked the image of a prison. "He locks the girls in."

"What?"

She looked at him, actually managing a tired smile. "Crazy, right? He likes to say he won't tolerate thieving trash."

"If he finds a thief he can fire them."

The smile became a grin. "You'd think so, right? I better get in there before they decide I'm late."

"Hey", he called, hurrying after her. "Would you mind if I walk you home tonight?"

In reply to her puzzled expression, he added, "Maybe that search nonsense will be more polite if someone else is around."

"Sure." She seemed doubtful, but looked as if she appreciated the gesture.

######################################

He wasn't late. The delivery wagon was arriving just as he placed lanterns by the back alley entrance. The driver seemed surprised at the gesture, and that Zuko paused to pat the sturdy black crow-ox pulling his small wagon. " Would she like some water?"

"We're good, thanks. She's not fond of the streets once they're crowded." Unloading the tea, plus a box of cups to replace some lost to breakage, didn't take very long.

After that, work was work: lots of time on his feet, insanely hectic several times, plus one customer he'd have tossed out if the shop were his. Since it wasn't, he let Pao explain that spiking their tea wasn't legal and he'd have to drink _that_ elsewhere. It was an ordinary day, in other words.

A pair of city constables came in, getting tea to have with their midday meal. They were regulars, allowed the privilege of bringing their food into the shop to eat. In fact, one of them was the man whose swords he'd taken the day Jet nearly got himself arrested by the Dai Li.

After Zuko had apologized profusely for taking them, the constable had been really nice about the incident. He seemed to find Li amusing. Zuko didn't like being considered a joke by anybody, but supposed it was better than prison or death. As he served them, he asked," Are people allowed to search workers?"

The words were out before he knew he was going to speak.

The older guard, the one whose swords he'd taken, looked up at him with a smile. "Tell me Pao's not developing bad habits."

The shop owner squawked a protest even as Zuko caught the gist of his joke, which really wasn't funny. "A girl I know, her and all the women she works with."

"Girlfriend works in a factory, does she? The owners are doing it a lot these days. If she has any valuables she'd be better off leaving them home."

While his partner scolded him for implying the factory owners might be dishonest, Zuko fought back a scowl. _These people are pretending they want to stop crime while they're the ones stealing?_

"I haven't seen shop owners do it", he said, "Or restaurants."

"They don't do it often", the other guard, barely older than Zuko despite his beard, said. "It's the factories with lots of workers and lots of stuff to steal that do it."

"The guards touch them all over. My friend was really bothered by it."

"Owners need to protect themselves from theft. It's perfectly legal." The older guard's voice and expression gave so little away that Zuko suspected he didn't like the practice.

He was a little relieved that Jet wouldn't be coming by that day. If Zuko was angry about the searches, how would Smellerbee's close friends react? Knowing Jet's temper, the Dai Li might end up involved again. Zuko doubted they'd give him another second chance.

He didn't linger after work, relieved for once that his uncle had plans with one of his lady friends. There'd be no need to explain his own lateness getting home. _Uncle keeps telling me I should spend time with girls_ , he thought. _I don't think he meant Smellerbee_.

Zuko half ran through the darkening streets. If his presence made even a small difference, he'd just have to make a habit of it. Maybe he, Longshot and Jet could take turns. Those women, mostly girls, really, didn't deserve the kind of treatment they were receiving.

Slowing, he approached the factory at a walk, observing the closing routine while he caught his breath.

The factory was well lit on the inside, the women beginning to line up as he watched. When the search was done, they'd walk out into almost pitch darkness. The moon was little more than a sliver and the owners clearly didn't waste money lighting the building's surroundings. They'd be nearly blind once they stepped outside. Was their safety irrelevant to the ones who'd hired them?

The line moved slowly. The two guards were relaxed, bantering while they worked, taking their time like the women weren't more than ready to go home. It wasn't enough that their task was an insult to every honest woman in that place. They had to be jerks about it, too.

Smellerbee hadn't been searched yet. There were several women ahead of her, all seeming to be trying not to watch the guards do their job.

If you could call it that. The woman at the front of the line had a stoic expression, bravely hiding any reaction to the hand running over her breast, then sliding underneath as if to grope or squeeze it.

Aching with sympathetic outrage, Zuko leaped forward and hauled the guard away from her, out of the doorway and into darkness.

Throwing him backfirst into the wall, he drove his fists into the big guard's body; unarmored and verging on flabby, but strong enough to bully tired young girls.

"Hey!" The second guard came rushing out, seeing nothing in the darkness. Zuko kicked him, sending him right back inside.

"You will not abuse these women again", he said in a low-pitched growl. The guard cringed back against the wall. Zuko heard confused cries from inside and the other one came rushing back out. He'd armed himself with a cudgel but didn't bother to carry a light or even take a moment to let his eyes adapt to the night.

Stupid, Zuko thought, catching his upraised arm and flipping the guard to the ground. He snatched the cudgel as he did and jabbed the fallen man hard in the stomach. He howled.

"Don't be a baby. That was barely a tap", he said. "I was just telling your friend here that the two of you would be turning over a new leaf. You'd like to be a better man, wouldn't you?"

"Yes", the standing guard whined. "Please don't hurt us any more."

The second guard glared up at him, squinting to make out his features in the shadows. "You think I'm scared? I'm going to find you, and when I do I'll kick the ..."

Zuko jabbed his stomach again. "Language. You work with ladies. Coarse language is the beginning of coarse habits. That's the first lesson. Second, you will treat each of those women like a sister. Understand?"

"You got a sister in there?" the guard on the ground asked, still trying to make out his face.

"My sister would kill you and laugh", he replied, resting a foot on the supine man's abdomen. "Do I need to offer more lessons?"

Wriggling in discomfort, the guard muttered, "No."

"Treat the girls like ladies", the one by the wall said more eagerly.

"Think of them as ladies", he ordered, letting them hear the anger he felt. "Treat them with respect. Now go do your jobs. Those women are tired. Let them go home."

Going back inside, the guards conducted only perfunctory searches, sending the confused workers out quickly. Any questions they asked were shrugged off as the guards told them-politely- that they were free to go home.

He let Smellerbee get well clear of the door's light before he approached. Peering at the shadows, she whispered, "What'd you do?"

The question held more energy than she'd shown that morning. In fact, she sounded like she was fighting down laughter. "I explained the need to treat others with respect, that's all."

"You really take good manners seriously, don't you?" She fell in beside him, giggling as they walked.

He was embarrassed, and now that he thought about it, a little ashamed of his impulsive violence. He could only hope that some good came out of it and the guards wouldn't bother the girls anymore.


	8. Out Too Late

Out Too Late

He walked Smellerbee home several more nights. The guards seemed to be keeping their lesson in mind. The searches continued; they were legal, after all; but in a brisk, efficient manner.

He let the guards see his silhouette twice, not on consecutive nights, as a reminder.

The only negative result was another wanted poster, but he was lucky for once. The guards hadn't seen his face, so the poster's vague description was useless. Both men described a much bigger man and believed he was older as well. While the guard he'd knocked down noticed something about his face, it was just an impression of darkness. The constables who came into Pao's said it might have been a scar, birthmark or even bruising if he was the brawler implied by his actions.

Spending time with Smellerbee opened Zuko's eyes to yet another problem linked to the century-long war. So many desperate people came to Ba Sing Se that their work was devalued. If a factory owner fired you, your spot could be filled the very next day. The laborers had no leverage.

He was also sure he'd glimpsed Fire Nation technology in the factory. Was it developed from captured military equipment or did Ba Sing Se's elite do business with the Earth Kingdom's enemy? A troubling thought struck him on one of these walks and stayed with him: If his cousin hadn't died in battle, Ba Sing Se would be Fire Nation territory today. Uncle Iroh had, in his grief, chosen not to finish the job. Then, when his father died not long afterward, he'd been summoned home.

Uncle's officers weren't incompetent, so why hadn't they finished the conquest when his uncle retired?

 _I'm being paranoid_ , he thought, lying in bed a few restless nights later. _Sure the city's weird, with crazy rules like "There is no war" and the Dai Li scaring everyone, but I can't assume there's more than that. Even if the Earth King allows trade with the Fire Nation, doesn't that help the city stay strong and rich? It doesn't mean he and the generals struck a deal._

Too many questions and too many casual injustices made it hard to relax. Uncle was deeply asleep, snoring peacefully after another evening with one of his ladies.

Zuko got out of his bed and slipped out the door, moving as quietly as he could. He'd decided he needed a closer look at one of those disturbing factories. He chose to stay away from Smellerbee's job. There was overnight protection there since his beating of the guards, which they'd explained as a foiled robbery attempt. Instead he broke into the ugly factory with the narrow windows.

Its heavy locks didn't even slow him down. Zuko had a talent for picking locks, a skill developed in the palace back home. There were so many locked and forgotten rooms to tempt bored children that he and Azula had never gotten to them all, as hard as they tried.

That was in the days before Grandfather's death and Mother's disappearance. Azula had gone from a clever, sometimes spiteful child to a vicious one. He understood. That night had changed him, too.

Still, he could remember when she'd been his fellow explorer and partner in crime. She'd been impressed by his lock picking skill. It was the one ability he had that she'd never managed to master, too. Zuko shook his head to clear it, hating the way the past seemed determined to haunt him. The simplest reminder could drag him into a pit full of bitter guilt. He took a meditative breath and turned back to the unchallenging locks so he could get inside the factory.

It was gloomy. The tall windows let little moonlight in and the sun wouldn't fare much better. Made up of a thick metal grid holding small panes of glass, well smeared with grime and dust, they wouldn't allow much light to make it in.

The work tables' placement was strange. It left him with the strangest impression that they were laid out to prevent anyone getting too much light. Smellerbee might be right about the owner being a bully and a jerk. They were crowded together, too. If the workers weren't back to back on the aisle their back was to the wall. Anybody that had to get up was guaranteed to get in someone's way.

The clutter and dust brought back other unpleasant memories that left him uneasy and he tried to imagine bright sun overhead, a fresh sea wind blowing over his skin. Then he noticed the inside of the factory doors, fighting a moment of sickness before welcome anger kicked in.

There was a heavy bar for both sets of paired doors, usable only when the building was occupied. From the size and bulk, only a really big guy or more than one smaller person could move the things once they were in place. _He imprisons them all day and makes them look at those bars across the only way out_ , he thought. The malice such an action required revolted him. Being a fire bender, his next thought was, _Fire cleanses._

Zuko could almost see flames eating the heavy wood, their heat bursting the glass and melting metal. It would be satisfying, cathartic after months of desperation and fear, but ultimately it would be pointless. Women who really needed the money would lose their jobs. If the fire grew out of his control, it could spread through the crowded city. Lives and homes would be destroyed as the walls that protected the city made it a death trap. The image accompanying that thought was anything but satisfying.

He took a deep breath of the dusty air and sneezed. The sound broke his near-trance and he smiled. This wasn't a fire bender's problem to solve. Envisioning a blue theater mask, lost months ago with his ship, Zuko found he had a better solution.

The project took longer than Zuko expected, starting with the time it took to find a tool box in the dark building. He didn't risk even a small flame, not because it might be seen through grimy windows by guards in another factory, but because of the strong smell of grease in the air. He'd already decided against arson.

While he searched, he noted differing makers' marks on the equipment. That might make sense on different machines but these were identical. He also picked up on something in the shapes used, some aspect that said Fire Nation to him. _Trade or black market?_ he wondered.

Wood shavings were scattered under the tables and the dust in the air kept making him sneeze. _People have to work in this?._

He finally stumbled on a musty smelling closet full of cleaning gear, the dirtiest place yet. There were greasy rags heaped on a shelf, probably used to wipe down the machinery. He spotted a dented toolbox half hidden behind a mop and bucket which were clearly the source of the closet's stink. When he stepped toward it, Zuko realized he'd already grabbed a broom. He couldn't stomach the smell of all that dust. It evoked the kind of memories that frequently ruined his sleep.

He gave in to his irrational need and swept the big work room clean. The windows seemed even grimier when he'd done, so he scrounged up some coarse paper from the office, noticing in passing that the safe was an old model. He could probably outfox the mechanism to open it without ever learning the combination.

 _It's not fear of theft that makes him bar the doors, not if he keeps valuables in that piece of junk_. He left the safe alone for tonight, noting that he might also want to search for another hidden one. For now he took the paper he needed, dampening it to wipe those nasty windows.

Finally ready to embark on the original plan, Zuko went back to get the toolbox. He worked as quickly as he could, worrying that he'd be caught by an early arrival, all because he'd let himself get distracted and got started late.

It didn't happen, although he did see small groups of figures walking toward the factory zone as he left. The sun wasn't over the city walls yet. They were merely mobile silhouettes.

He'd stashed a set of loose Earth Kingdom clothes on the roof of a building overlooking a small fountain. Getting the sack from the roof, he climbed down to wash hurriedly so he could hide the dark clothes he used for night running. While it was much later than he'd intended to be out, he found one advantage: people were starting to rise. With booths and shops opening he could move freely and pass for a respectable citizen.

 _At least Uncle won't be up yet_ , he thought. A friendly, red-cheeked lady had just set up her egg cart so he bought several. If Uncle Iroh noticed he'd been out, he'd woken up craving eggs. The woman looked Zuko up and down with an amused, knowing smile, then finger combed his hair while he was pocketing his change. He drew away.

She shook her head, scolding him with a smile. "You youngsters. You're too messy. Always take a minute for your appearance. You don't want the Dai Li's attention, do you?"

"I haven't done..."

"Or your parents. That might be worse for a boy your age."

She had a point. Uncle Iroh would notice if he came home mussed first thing in the morning. "Thanks."

"Go get some breakfast, son."

Wishing she hadn't called him that, he rushed home, careful of the eggs in their little basket. When he walked in, his uncle was wide awake and frowning.

"I thought eggs would be good this morning", Zuko said, managing to make it sound like the most outrageous lie imaginable.

"Where were you all night?"

"All night?" he repeated like a reptile-parrot.

"Sit down, nephew", Iroh said. "We need to talk."

Zuko did, cringing a little at the grim tone. All his good feeling from the night's work was completely gone.

"This is not the first time you left the apartment after curfew, is it? Why would you be so reckless? What can be worth taking such a risk?" He wasn't yelling. Iroh wasn't a man to yell very often, but there was a hardness in his tone, and a current of purest disappointment, that made Zuko squirm in guilt.

"I'm sorry", he said.

"I asked you where you went, Prince Zuko. What have you been doing?"

"Nothing. Nothing bad", he amended.

"Nothing bad?" Iroh's voice rose a little, but lowered while he continued, "Perhaps you can explain these, then."

He opened the drawer where Zuko kept the spices he'd been given. "These are not inexpensive. How did you pay for them? Did you pay for them?"

Zuko looked away, ashamed to be reminded of the times he'd stolen. His uncle had every right to doubt him. "I didn't steal them. That's not what I do when I go out, I swear."

"What then? Why are you endangering everything we now have?"

"I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin your new life."

"It is your new life as well. We both have a future here."

Zuko couldn't look him in the eye. He hadn't thought things through again. He'd only worried about finding escape at first, then he'd begun to get caught up in the city's many mysteries. He'd let himself forget how much they had to lose. "I won't go out any more."

He felt like he was closing a trap on himself, but it wasn't enough. Uncle Iroh said, "You have not yet explained your actions, nephew."

"I...go out. I can't sleep once in a while (more often than that, but he didn't say), so I go out for some air. I won't do it any more."

The anger faded from Iroh's face, but the mixture of concern and pity that replaced it only made him feel worse.

"The spices..." Iroh tried to ask again.

"I didn't steal them, Uncle", he repeated, not expecting to be believed. He rose to start breakfast. If his uncle had been up all night worrying, then neither of them had slept. They should at least eat properly.

######################################

Pao's tea shop felt off from the minute Jet walked in. The few customers at this time of day seemed to be enjoying their tea less than usual, peeking toward the back where Mushi/Iroh was unusually quiet.

His nephew's depression was even more obvious. Zuko was miserable, though he was trying to hide it behind his polite waiter persona.

There were a pair of city watchmen he recognized because Zuko grabbed the older one's swords that day Jet came looking for a fight. He lowered his eyes as he walked past, but it was clear they recognized Jet by the way their eyes followed him.

He headed toward the counter at the back, where General Iroh shot him a hostile look.

When Zuko came to place an order he looked at Jet with surprise. "Sorry. I forgot about lunch. I didn't bring anything."

He was apologizing like he was in charge of feeding Jet, but he wasn't. The dark circles around his eyes weren't flattering, either. _What happened?_ The Freedom Fighter squeezed his friend's shoulder. "So I'll treat for a change. You forgetting who got me my job?"

Glancing into the back, where his uncle still watched them both with chilly eyes, Zuko said, "I'm not really hungry today. Sorry."

"No? Well, you're looking a little sick. Why don't I walk you home?"

"I can't just leave", the prince said like it was unthinkable. With his sense of duty, maybe it was. Zuko wouldn't leave the others to be overwhelmed when Pao's got busy again.

"How about I talk to the boss for you?"

"That isn't..."

Jet cut behind the counter. He gave Pao a polite half bow but went straight to the general. "What's going on?"

Iroh/Mushi scowled. "I will not discuss my family's personal matters with you, Jet. In truth, I would like you to leave. Associating with you has not been good for my nephew."

"You need to explain something that crazy", Jet replied. "Let's go out back.

"There is nothing to explain."

"There's plenty. I haven't done anything wrong."

The old man glanced toward the constables in the front. "I could have you removed."

There was a distressed sound behind them. Zuko was still by the counter. He was giving Iroh a pleading look. Iroh's expression softened.

"Humor me, just this one time", Jet said. The general didn't dislike him, not really, and he adored Zuko, so why was he acting like this? They went out back to the alley. Jet crossed his arms and asked, "What am I supposed to've done, anyway?"

"I believe you are having an adverse effect on his behavior."

"You must be joking. He's the most responsible person I know! He never lets up on himself, never goofs off. How exactly is he misbehaving?"

"He had nothing to do with it", Zuko said from the doorway. "Please don't blame Jet for my mistakes." He looked tired and apologetic. "I messed up. I won't go out any more. I'll be careful but don't ask me to give up my friends."

 _Go out? The old man caught on to his roof running_ , Jet thought. He went to Zuko and whispered, "Past curfew?"

"All night. I lost track of time. It was morning before I knew it."

"He must've been scared to death", Jet replied, because he would have been, too. Turning to Iroh, he said, "I get it."

The general looked surprised.

"I get it, but you don't really want to change him, do you? The roof running, I've done it, too. When you're out there with you-know closing in you can't feel safe. You end up wanting to know all the ways out. Do you blame him?"

Looking troubled, Iroh said, "I wish him to be safe."

"He wants that, too, plus he wants you to be safe, and me and Longshot and Smellerbee, too. Face it, the guy's a worrier."

"I don't..."

"You do. You fret. You count every coin and try to account for every possible problem. Why don't you go inside and check the customers while we finish up here?"

"That would be prudent", Iroh said. He was studying Jet like some difficult Pai Sho game laid out before him.

"I don't want him hurt any more than you do", Jet said when they were alone.

"There was a time you felt differently. I have never understood how he changed your opinion so drastically."

"He's...naked", Jet said slowly, trying to explain what he'd never verbalized, only felt. "He can't lie. You've known him all his life. Has he ever managed to fool anyone?"

"Not to my knowledge", Iroh admitted with a half-smile.

"Then you know. He said there was no place left to go and he meant it. I started to realize I didn't want him in trouble. That first day on the ferry, when I saw him, he seemed like one of my people, like he knew about having to struggle and fight for anything he got."

"Yes." The general's voice had softened. Jet thought he might be remembering those struggles he'd shared with his nephew.

"When he goes out, he isn't looking for trouble", Jet said, returning to the original subject. "He's just trying to get by."

"I fear for him."

"He's not alone. If he's out too late, I'll tell him he should come to my place if he can't get home past the Dai Li. I know it's not ideal, but neither is the city. You know it. He's got...concerns. So do I. Don't even pretend you haven't got any yourself. You've heard stories. You've probably seen stuff that makes you wonder, too."

The older man gave him an assessing look. Did he think they were too young to see how strange this city really was?

"That is why I do not wish to see him in trouble", Iroh admitted quietly.

"I'm sorry, General", Jet said, pitying the old soldier for the first time, "the way the world is, being innocent and well-meaning won't keep kids safe. We have to be tough and aware and he is, I promise."

Amber eyes narrowing, Iroh said, "He is not cautious."

"He's incredibly cautious, just don't ask him to crush himself into a little box labelled "waiter". We both know he's a lot more than that."

"Yes." He half turned away and said, "Perhaps I seem overprotective to you, but he is very dear to me."

Jet remained silent, allowing him the time he needed while he thought.

"I should be happy he is not alone when he is out of my reach. He is sixteen. I cannot tie him to an old man's apron strings, although I wish that I could."

"He's tied to you, anyway", Jet replied. "He isn't careful for his own sake. He never wants to put you at risk, not even a little."

"May I ask you a question? It may seem strange."

"Go ahead."

"There are spices in our home. They do not come cheaply."

"He didn't tell you about the thief?" Jet asked, deciding it would be wise to play the incident down. "This creep was stealing stuff, small things like jewelry, and Li spotted him. Who knows how much more he'd have taken? They all know him on sight now, too."

Iroh relaxed. "I was concerned for no reason, then. Why did he not tell me what happened?"

Jet gave him an easy grin. "Because he comes by his worrying naturally? He probably thought you'd be upset about him confronting some criminal."

"I will speak with my nephew later", Iroh said. "For now, I had better get back to work."

He actually sent Zuko out when he went inside. "What did you tell him? He isn't angry. I mean, he didn't say anything, just "Go eat with your friend", but he didn't sound upset any more."

Jet just grinned in reply. "Remember, I'm treating today."


	9. Her Again

Her Again

Jet hadn't given a thought to would-be activist Pan Beifong since the day he attended the students' meeting. If he had, he'd have assumed the good-intentioned rich kid had scurried back to his university after it proved to be a total failure. Seeing him in Pao's tea shop with a familiar dark-eyed woman, holding her baby, no less, came as a surprise.

Pan waved him over eagerly so he walked to their table to greet them. _This is lots better than trying to track her down,_ he thought. _That might've come off as creepy._ Zuko and Iroh both came from the back, but the older man carried the customers' tea tray while his nephew began cleaning tables on the other end of the room. _He's avoiding her_ , Jet realized.

Iroh's face lit up when he saw the baby. "What a beautiful child! How old is she?"

"Five weeks old."

"And thriving", he said approvingly. "I had thought her a bit older, two months, perhaps."

"She is growing fast."

The four of them fell into conversation while the master served the couple's tea. The child was named Pearl because her mother's family had lived on the coast until they had to move on (The war that caused their need went unmentioned.). Her own name was Ava, unusual but apparently a family name that came down from her great-aunt. Pan was developing plans for a more effective civic group by spending most of his free time in the working class parts of Ba Sing Se. No, Ava wasn't part of his or any group. He'd been kind enough to show her the way to Pao's famous tea shop.

Iroh/Mushi blushed happily. He seemed flattered every time someone spoke of his tea making skills, just like he didn't hear about them constantly. _Funny_ , Jet thought. _He's actually being friendly to me, not just the new customers. Well, he's nice to everybody, but today is different._

He looked toward Zuko and their eyes met. His friend looked content, almost happy. Jet thought, _He sees it, too. The General is acting different._

It must've been their talk. Jet hadn't dared to try manipulating the Dragon of the West, but somehow, talking honestly, he'd found the right key to get through to him _. He's the key, right there. Neither of us wants him to be hurt, not ever._

He turned back to his companions, feeling pretty darn good himself, when his stomach let out a huge growl. The baby, snug against Iroh's apronned chest, blinked at him, while the mother gave him a sweet, amused smile.

It was midafternoon, a pretty quiet time of day, but Zuko still must have ridiculously good hearing. Frowning from the far end of the room, he said, "Tell me you didn't skip lunch today."

"I got busy", Jet said, letting the prince haul him to a separate table adjacent to the others. "One of the guys at work heard about a job in a stationery store. You know, brushes and inks, that stuff."

"I know what stationery is." Zuko went in back and returned with Jet's lunch box. "It's just as good cold, so eat."

Iroh watched them both, clearly at peace with their friendship at last, then excused himself to Pan and Ava. "I fear I may be neglecting my work. You will need tea with your meal, will you not, Jet?"

He nodded, mouth already full of noodles, and Zuko answered for him. "He likes ginseng tea, Uncle."

"A man after my own heart." He left to prepare the order.

Jet tried not to shovel his food down like a savage in front of the others. It tasted amazing. Zuko, being the good "housewife" that he was, had used leftover boarfish, noodles and a creamy sauce that made the spices an enticing warmth instead of tongue scorching.

Zuko checked on his customers, getting them more tea, then seated a couple of old ladies and took their orders.

His interaction with Ava was less strained than that day on the street, but Jet suspected that neither felt much more relaxed. They just had roles to play as server and business patron that let them avoid thinking about whatever it was between them.

When she rose to pay for the tea, Pan followed. "Please, allow me to pay."

"I offered to treat after you so kindly showed us the way here", she responded. "Don't make me a poor hostess."

"You could never be! That is, I've enjoyed your company immensely."

Zuko, waiting to take the money, gave the scholar a sharp glance like he was assessing a possible threat, but Pan's eyes were on the woman, who'd lowered her own to the baby, dozing in a carrier across her chest. "Both your company", he said earnestly. "Please forgive me if I seemed forward. Would you allow me to pay for the second pot, at least?"

Ava nodded with the faintest of smiles. It wasn't the sort of smile he'd seen Zuko wear, but it reminded him of a look that crossed his friend's face on occasion, one that wasn't remotely happy. Was that shared expression a hint at what made them so uncomfortable together?

"Is he nice?" Zuko asked him when they left.

"Nice?"

"Her husband's only been dead a few months. That guy's acting like he's interested in her. What's he up to?" Zuko's eyes were narrowed in a dangerous glare.

"I don't think he's playing around", Jet replied. "He doesn't seem worldly enough. If you want, I can remind him she's a widow, one that hasn't been for long."

Zuko grimaced. "I'm being a jerk. She can look after herself. I don't need to go threatening your friend. So he is a decent guy?"

"I think so, but I don't really know him. I bet I can find out about Pan if you're worried, though. My new job caters to the University. I can probably pick up a lot about him."

"I really am a jerk. I can't ask you to spy on people at your new job." Jet could actually see him decide to change the subject. "So you're leaving the warehouse?"

"No, I'm doing part of the week at each job. I like the idea of not depending on one boss. Come by the apartment tonight and I'll tell you more about it."

"I'd like that", Zuko said, then sighed, "but I can't disappoint my uncle. I've got something to do after work."

"Tell me he isn't teaching you bonsai", Jet said. "Can't he save that for the other old guys?"

"Very funny. I have a date", he said with more dread than enthusiasm.

Jet gave him a grin. "With who, Long Feng?" Zuko scowled. He never saw the humor in Dai Li jokes, which was the best reason Jet knew for making them. "Okay, not Long Feng. Why so grim, then? Is she ugly? Does her breath smell like the Earth King's bear? _Is_ she the Earth King's bear?"

Finally he got a laugh. "No. She seemed all right. Only she asked and I couldn't think of anything to say and Uncle said yes for me."

"Did you want to say yes?"

"No. Maybe. She caught me off guard." He lowered his voice. "I thought she recognized us or guessed what we were somehow. I didn't expect her to ask me out."

"I'm guessing you've never been on a date." Jet wasn't exactly shocked. Zuko said he'd spent three years on a ship, given the hopeless task of finding the Avatar, who at the time hadn't been seen in a century. _The Fire Lord must be crazy_ , Jet thought, not for the first time. His friend wasn't thinking about his father or his imaginary failings, though. His worry was simple stuff for once.

"Want me to keep an eye out for you?"

Zuko gave him an irritated look, clearing the table of Jet's lunch dishes. "It's a date."

"And you aren't sure how it'll go. If things get too awkward or you two don't hit it off, maybe I can help."

"How?"

"I don't know. Distract her with some flexing?" He pulled up a sleeve, flashing a wiry bicep. "Flirt with her? Or with you?" Zuko stifled a snicker. "I could just make goofy faces over your shoulder till you laugh. When she faints from shock you make a run for it."

Zuko failed to disguise his laugh as a cough. Jet spotted a grin behind the sleeve covering his mouth. "I'll take it you're accepting my offer. See you later."

############

The girl arrived at Pao's shop a little after closing. The first thing she did when Zuko stepped out was muss his parted and slicked-down hair. Points for good taste, Jet decided. He'd have done the same thing. Then the pair shifted and he got a good look at her. Black pigtails, nice figure, kind of short... _Her?_ Jet thought. It was the girl from their day out, who'd seemed pretty willing to be part of a riot until Zuko calmed everyone. _She tracked him down. I can't decide if that's disturbing or impressive._

She was the direct sort, picking a restaurant since Zuko wasn't sure where they should go, then taking over the conversation to draw him out when he didn't talk much. Most guys would be flattered by all the questions but Jet could tell his friend hated every one of them.

Jet was at the same restaurant, far enough away not to eavesdrop but with a clear line of sight. He wondered at one point if Zuko's lie was as obvious to her as it was to him. Zuko's attempt at juggling right after made him turn his head quickly, stifling laughter.

 _I'll have to ask him what that was all about_ , he told himself, rising to pay for his meal when he saw Zuko about to do the same. As they passed one another near the counter, Jet whispered, "Lunch was lots better. These guys should hire you."

"Very funny", Zuko whispered back.

There was a fountain nearby and the couple walked toward it. Jet saw her plan right away. The lamplit fountain was a famous romantic spot. She was direct, all right, but the fountain sat in shadows tonight. Some crazy new Dai Li rule? Too many grandkids conceived in the alleys nearby? It didn't matter. Miss Direct's plan was ruined.

Only Zuko watched her face fall when they arrived to find darkness, said, "Close your eyes", and after a watchful look around took an insane risk. He drew breath, took a confident posture like he'd picked up twin swords, and began to cast fire.

Watching a candle flame rise and fall with Zuko's breaths had been eerie. Watching fire benders in combat had first been a source of childhood terror, then fury, then bitter analysis so he could fight them. Tonight, watching the lamps begin to glow as tiny bursts of light struck their wicks, Jet didn't think he'd ever seen anything so beautiful.

The young fire bender took no combat stance. His face was peaceful as he sent precise, delicate licks of flame toward every lamp in moments. It was nothing like the huge blasts he'd seen benders loose in battle. Jet wondered how many could boast of such finesse. Could even Iroh, one of the greatest fighters alive, match this feat?

When he finished and told the girl to open her eyes, she gasped in delight. She moved close and Zuko offered her a tea coupon, which was apparently his uncle's idea of a romantic gesture. When she kissed him, Jet figured it was the lamps' lighting, not some silly coupon, that she was responding to. He'd felt the same reaction himself.

Zuko allowed the kiss after a first startled withdrawal. He drew away quickly, though, causing Jet to feel a revealing surge of relief. It only became stronger as Zuko said something brief to her before walking away. Her hurt, startled expression put a grin on Jet's face that he forced down. There was no reason to be smug about the rejection. Zuko wouldn't be happy that he'd done it. Jet turned away from the girl standing alone by the fountain. He moved toward Zuko's apartment, pretty sure they'd meet on the way there.

 _I am not a good guy,_ he thought, spotting Zuko and hurrying to his side. Jet's sympathetic squeeze of a tense shoulder earned him a sober glance in reply. Everything about the fugitive prince spoke of sorrow and resignation. Jet intuited the reasons easily. Going out with that girl or anyone else would lead to constant lies, which Zuko both hated and did badly. The revelation must make him feel terribly alone.

Jet ducked his head, thinking that his own rising delight at that same knowledge was a shameful glimpse of his own worst nature. He'd been drawn to Zuko from the start. Certainly he'd seen a skilled fighter who'd be of benefit to the Freedom Fighters. He'd felt an affinity for someone as outcast as he felt himself. Hadn't there also been a simpler pleasure in just looking at him? He'd had to acknowledge the attraction the day he'd been tempted to do just what the pigtailed girl had done. He'd chosen friendship since Zuko showed no signs of wanting anything else.

Tonight gave him an opening, though. Jet knew he was persuasive, downright slick when he needed to be. He already knew Zuko's secrets, at least the ones he was ready to share, and was confident the others would come in time. So could everything he wanted if he played things right. He didn't like knowing he could think that way. He'd known for years that he could be ruthless toward his enemies but tonight he was actually walking beside his friend and wondering how to use what had just happened to his advantage. Zuko must feel more alone right now than he'd ever felt. The right words, with the right sympathetic inflection, would reinforce that sense of isolation. Zuko would lean on Jet, his only confidant, more and more. By the time Jet expressed his feelings, he'd be unable to imagine being close to anybody else. Moving closer, he let his shoulder bump his friend's, imagining getting everything he hoped for.

Golden eyes flashed to meet Jet's own dark ones, grateful for whatever he read in the gesture, whether reassurance, comfort or an attempted distraction.

 _I am a monster,_ he thought, picturing the revulsion on the water bender Katara's face when she learned he'd deceived her and her companions. He'd needed her talent for moving water in order to flood a Fire Nation settlement. He'd lied to the three of them but her brother wasn't fooled. Jet still didn't ascribe any special intelligence to Sokka. The guy's dislike and suspicion had been based on pure envy. Sokka had warned the enemy, saving their lives, and Jet wasn't sure he'd ever forgive the Water Tribesman for that. The Fire Nation made war on civilians, why shouldn't he? If he could talk to the Avatar and his Water Tribe buddies now, he'd remind them: We were civilians when they came for us. We were kids!

None of their opinions mattered. Zuko's did, though. Somehow he slipped past Jet's Fire Nation hatred. His good opinion was too important to risk, which was why Jet intended never to mention that flooded village to him. _He trusts me. At least he's beginning to. I can't con him, but I can't lie by saying nothing, either. That girl might've wanted him, but I want him more. I know him._

They'd drifted into shadowed side streets, then alleys, out of habit, or maybe because Zuko found comfort in the darkness. Jet was just grateful the prince couldn't see his face and guess what he was thinking.

"Hey", Jet said. When Zuko turned toward him, Jet shoved him against the wall they were passing and kissed him hard, clutching Zuko's collar.

Only to be shoved away so hard he bounced off the wall on the other side. The fire bender glared at him, eyes gone harder and fiercer than on the day they fought. Smoke, impossibly, seemed to be drifting up from his nostrils, but his voice shook when he spoke. "You said that wasn't what you wanted."

Jet cursed himself for being too aggressive. He knew better. Now he had to calm the fire bender down without any lies. He's already shown Zuko the truth. "I've never said I wasn't attracted to you." Those words weren't going to ease Zuko's stress so he added, "I was pushy and I shouldn't have upset you. I'm sorry for that. We're friends and I don't want that to change."

"Then why did you do it?" Zuko looked more confused and anxious than angry. The guy really was bad at holding a grudge.

 _Thank any spirits there are_ , Jet thought. "I like you. I'm at least as interested as spice girl is. More than she could possibly be."

"Who? You mean Jin?" He was probably blushing in the darkness, but he sounded baffled about the girl, like he didn't even remember her from their first encounter.

Jet fought down a thrilled laugh. She'd just been one of the crowd. "I wanted to put my bid in, just like she did. I should've said something first. I'm not sorry I did it, but I'm sorry I upset you."

"I overreacted", Zuko said, moving closer, into better light so Jet could see his face. "There was no reason to shove you like that. I'm sorry."

He had that awful look Jet hated, like sorrowful thoughts were trying to overwhelm him. Guiltily, Jet thought, _I did that to him._

He wanted to draw his friend's mind back off whatever dark path it sought to follow. He wanted to cheer him up, maybe even coax a smile from him. Most of all, he wanted an answer. Did he have any chance at all?

"Let me try again", he said.

"Try what? That? Why would...? I don't think it's a good idea."

Jet wanted to laugh but settled for a confident smile. "I just want the same chance you gave Jin. No surprises, one kiss. Fair?"

Zuko looked down, frowning. "It sounds fair", he conceded. When he looked up he had that determined expression Jet so admired. "We're friends no matter what, right?"

"Yeah." Jet took a step toward him.

Zuko didn't kiss expertly, which came as no surprise since Jin had probably been his first kiss. Jet didn't think he'd ever been kissed with so much focus, though. Intent and determined, Zuko slid an arm around Jet's ribs to pull him closer. He was challenging himself, which was such a Zuko thing to do Jet smiled even as their lips were touching. He decided to take the gesture as permission to indulge himself, so he did something he'd wanted to do since the day they met. Jet touched Zuko's cheek, letting his fingers slide up until he was caressing the edge of his scar. Zuko twitched. Was it a sensitive spot or was he reacting to his touching it at all?

It lasted a few breaths, a handful of quickened heartbeats, then Zuko stepped away, back into sheltering shadow. His face was hidden, but Jet could hear his ragged breathing. He couldn't be sure, though, if Zuko was controlling excitement or fighting down a panic attack. Jet knew he'd pushed him too much already. He'd have to wait for a definitive answer. "Feel like going home?"

Zuko nodded. He led the way in silence. It was only when Jet began to recognize the buildings around them that he realized Zuko had chosen to bring him home before returning to his own apartment. Jet wanted to keep him a little longer. He wished he could think of something clever to say but for once he was drawing a blank. Zuko said "Good night" and disappeared down a black alley.


	10. Finding Ways

Finding Ways

Zuko was sweeping the tea shop's front stoop when Jet walked up. He paused to admire the rich chestnut sheen the morning sun picked out in his friend's dark hair. It was such a dark brown it looked black in most light. While they rarely saw each other so early in the day, that would never explain why Zuko's face turned red when he noticed Jet watching him. Luckily the General was inside.

The blush earned a sly grin in response. Jet tucked his thumbs into the new belt at his waist. The whole outfit was new, bought so he'd fit in at the stationery shop, located in a better part of town. Jet thought he looked good, too.

"Hi," Zuko said.

"Hi. I knew you'd do that," Jet replied, feeling both smug and amused.

Zuko scowled. He seem to debate applying a smack of his broom to Jet's skull. He didn't, probably out of deference to the clean fabric. Instead he said sharply, "What?"

"Your know your face always gives you away, right? You should never take up gambling, it'll be your ruin."

"I'll bear that in mind if I ever forget how bad my luck usually is," Zuko snapped. "What did you want at this time of day, anyway?"

Jet bit back a laugh. Zuko always got mad when he was embarrassed. Watching him react was the main reason Jet enjoyed teasing him so much. That wasn't what he'd come here for today, though. " I came here to tell you I won't be around for a while, a few days, maybe a week. You didn't do anything," he added quickly in response to Zuko's quiet "Oh". "I have to give you time to think. I pushed you hard last night."

"You didn't."

"I did. I saw my chance and grabbed it. We're friends and I'm not giving that up." Zuko visibly relaxed. Jet continued, "I'd like other things, too, but you need to poke the idea around, see how it feels. If I hang around you'll get nervous and start worrying about the wrong stuff, like how I'd feel instead of what you want. Our friendship's important, anything else is optional. I've been rejected before, you know."

That was a lie, but he believed it to be in a good cause. As the charismatic leader of the Freedom Fighters, he'd generally been the one who had to let unwelcome admirers down with varying degrees of kindness. If Zuko did reject him, he'd just have to learn to deal with it. Still, he couldn't resist taking a few steps closer to whisper in Zuko's ear. "Besides, you need to stop blushing. I really don't want to explain myself to the Dragon of the West."

"Stop being a clown!"

He took a half step back. Yes, Zuko's face was crimson. "You asked what I wanted and I've promised myself I'd be honest with you. There's another reason I need to keep some distance for now. What I _want_ is to find us a quiet spot and show you how persuasive I can be. Nice as that'd be, it wouldn't really be fair to you."

Zuko shivered, or did he shudder? He turned away so Jet couldn't read his face. "No one will ever say you aren't confident."

"Probably not. I put on a really good show," Jet replied, stepping back. He knew better than to play too much. He might just drive Zuko away. "I'd better be going."

"Wait! Your lunch. I'll go get it." The prince rushed inside.

When he came back out, Jet found himself smiling with simple affection as he accepted the lunchbox. "You really don't have to feed me."

That earned him a frown. "Just don't poison yourself eating from the wrong cart."

Laughing, Jet turned and walked away. He couldn't resist a look back. Having finished sweeping, Zuko was already inside.

################

This being Jet's first day, the boss spent a lot of time teaching him. Jet had never imagined there were so many types of ink, let alone grades of paper, and he was a little surprised that a retired scholar had hired a guy like him. By the standards of this part of town he was barely literate. He hadn't suspected working in a shop could be so tiring, either. Jet was glad when he was asked to fill shelves that afternoon. Who knew there was so much work in scholarship?

His day was done by midafternoon and being out in the fresh air rapidly cleared his head. That was good news because Jet had another appointment soon and he needed clarity. His interest in city politics hadn't waned. The crazier the place seemed the more he wanted to do something about it. Today's meeting was unusual in a promising way. It was invitation only and he'd been invited.

Most meetings they'd attended had been about as useful as Pan Beifong's group's had been, although a few had seemed clearer on their purpose. It was mostly talk and complaints, nothing inspiring or effective, with any action stifled by fear of the Dai Li. At a recent meeting a curly headed guy had approached Jet. They talked a while, then the man, calling himself Brick, offered Jet a chance to attend what he called a serious meeting. He'd agreed because Brick, despite the silly alias, seemed like he actually had an agenda.

 _This works out pretty well_ , he thought. _The shop isn't far and I finished work with plenty of time to spare._ He was eager, even hopeful, for the first time in a long while. Ba Sing Se's secrecy and restrictions were driving him crazy. He had to keep telling himself that Long Feng's Dai Li weren't nearly the threat that Fire Nation soldiers had been.

Longshot pointed out one night that the Fire Nation locked you up or killed you. They had an army of fighters, not disturbingly smiley women who all appeared to share a name. He seemed less trustful of the Dai Li and even the Earth King than Jet was himself, which was saying something.

Jet was to meet Brick at a busy outdoor market, from which he'd be escorted to the actual meeting place. It was all too melodramatic for Jet, but if they made sense at the meeting he'd bring in his Freedom Fighters. Spotting Brick, he waved. Brick waved back, sauntering toward him.

 _Good,_ Jet thought _, two ordinary guys just hanging out. No secret handshakes or hokey passwords. That stuff would draw the Dai Li like waving a banner._ As the two young men walked, they spoke idly: Would Earth Rumble ever be allowed in the city? Could one of the Dai Li take down the Boulder? That stuff about the Blind Bandit being a kid wasn't true, was it? She'd supposedly beaten all the sport's big names.

They entered a gaming parlor. As they crossed the crowded room, Jet wondered what it was with old men and pai sho _. It's like an old guy brotherhood,_ he thought. _They're everywhere._

A door at the back concealed a staircase. The meeting was on the second floor. Brick claimed it was a precaution against the Dai Li. That was possible. At ground level or in a basement, the Dai Li could easily find ways to spy on dissidents, then burst in to arrest everyone.

 _On the other hand, maybe the old guys wouldn't give up the main room,_ he thought, concealing a smirk.

There were a couple of familiar faces, like that angry farmer from the same day he first saw Jin. He forced himself not to wonder if she was at Pao's trying again with Zuko. The farmer looked through Jet without recognition, scratching his beard.

That got his mind off distracting images of flirtatious girls because he didn't like it. He'd spent years as a leader, respected and recognized. Then he'd tried to join the official war effort before coming to Ba Sing Se. He'd been told that the Freedom Fighters were welcome to enlist -when they were of age. Coming to Ba Sing Se was even worse. The war that had shaped their lives didn't exist inside the city's walls. The place was like a sinkhole pulling him and every other refugee into helpless anonymity. Jet wasn't about to let that happen.

Before they got down to business, he was pulled aside by the pair in charge. They looked like siblings, similar in age and appearance, and introduced themselves as Kono and Kem Tong. They asked Jet a lot of questions. More security. He could respect that.

They passed the questioning back and forth in a practiced technique meant to get him off balance and keep him there. Kono played the charmer, relaxed and curious, ready to be a friend and mentor to the youth. Kem Tong, his sister, played it harder. Jet couldn't tell if it was all technique or if she really was the more distrustful of the pair. Eventually they decided he could stay.

Once the meeting began, nobody wasted time on idle chatter. Several protest methods were in the works, starting with a bunch of posters and banners, to be put out in waves and rapidly replaced. Sure they'd be pulled down, but some would be read and passed around. The idea was to get people thinking.

Anywhere else, he'd have called it a weak effort, but for a population as cowed as Ba Sing Se's it would seem incredibly bold. Then they'd take action against the city's worst exploiters.

"That's what I've been waiting to hear," Jet said. "Some of those so-called civic leaders are scum. You heard of that guy who locks workers in his factory all day?"

The farmer looked at him, not recognizing but acknowledging him. It was a start.

"There's a story going around," the man said with a grin. "Seems he went to open one morning and all the doors were gone. Someone took them right off the hinges."

"Yeah. Maybe he knows better now."

"It was you?"

Jet just gave him a close-lipped smile. It hadn't been him, but he liked that look of respect. He also didn't intend to admit that he had no idea who'd done the deed. They talked about similar direct actions, breaking windows and equipment to cost the exploiters time and money.

 _These guys are doing more than spouting off_ , Jet thought as the meeting wound down. He went home whistling.

Smellerbee came in with Longshot, much earlier than usual. When he asked about it, Smellerbee admitted that she and the other girls had demanded to leave work earlier at night. "We're all terrified of the Shadow Man," she claimed, then giggled.

"Who?" he asked, wondering if she was finally breaking down from exhaustion.

"Shadow Man. The guy beat up the guards at my job one night, took the doors down at Mu Ying's assembly shop a couple nights ago and now he's hung up a safe."

"A safe? Why would he do that?"

"To show he could?" She giggled again. "This one is so good. Mu Ying got these dog things. Lizard-dogs or porcupine dogs, whatever they are everyone says they're almost as ugly as they are mean. They're supposed to guard the place at night like we've got people to, but the Shadow Man went back, anyway. Mu Ying keeps saying he does what he wants at his place so he put the bars on once the doors were back up. This time the Shadow Man sawed both the bars in four pieces, plus he hung the safe from a roof beam. It was just dangling over the middle row of work tables."

"What'd he do with the guard whatevers?"

She smirked. "They were inside. After all, it rained last night. "He fed them, too."

Jet laughed and was fairly sure he heard Longshot chuckle. "So he's a dangerous animal lover?"

"I guess." Once she started eating, she had a decent appetite for once. Her bowl emptied so fast that, sharing a look, he and Longshot both transferred some of their own meal, a filling stew, to it. "You guys don't have to do that," she said, but ate heartily.

"Still hungry? There's stuff in the icebox," Jet said, glad that he'd been influenced by Zuko's insistence that a home required at least a few staples in its cabinets. "I could put something together easy."

"I'm good." She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, belching.

"How about it, Longshot? Still hungry?"

Longshot declined with a twist of his lips: he'd have to be _really_ hungry to eat Jet's cooking.

"You're hilarious," Jet replied.

"So, how was this meeting?" Smellerbee asked.

"They made some good points and they don't seem to just be talking." Jet described the group, their intended actions and ideas. "They have potential. If they follow through I thought you guys might want in."

"Yeah!" Smellerbee grinned, more like herself than she'd been in ages. "Maybe we can start at my job."

"I've been thinking," Jet said. "Longshot and I are both earning decent money now. How'd you like to quit? You hate it there, we hate the way they treat you, and even if it takes time to find something better we've got our rent covered."

Her face lit up. He could feel his own grin and saw that even sober Longshot wore a hint of a smile. "It's decided, then."

"This is so great!" She jumped up from the table, raising both fists in triumphant glee. "I'm outta that pit!"

Picking up their empty dishes, she hesitated. "It's kind of unfair, though. I can leave but most of the others can't. They have families. Some have kids and they barely see them."

"That's why people like us need to do something,"Jet replied. "We're free enough that we can help others get more freedom, too."

Longshot and she nodded. This was the kind of thinking that bound them together as Freedom Fighters.

"You'll talk to Li tomorrow, right?"

Jet was glad her back was to him when she asked. It took a second to smooth his face back into a calm mask. Longshot he'd have to talk to later. The archer had a _very_ sharp eye. "I've got work."

They both gave him a look. Work or not, he saw the scarred refugee every chance he got and they knew it.

Smellerbee had this way grabbing any issue that annoyed her in her proverbial teeth and shaking it until she got answers. Turning her back to the sink, she leaned against it, crossing her arms. She scowled. "Li's one of us. What's the problem?"

"No problem. I just told him this morning that I'd really need to focus on this new job. I have a lot to learn."

"So? You don't think he could help? Him and Mushi are class. I know you can tell, too."

Class was a loose term. It could mean nobly born, rich or simply well educated. He couldn't tell them how accurate it was in Zuko's case. Jet felt his face flush. Lying was usually no concern for him, but these were his friends and comrades.

The truth, then, at least the lesser, merely embarrassing part. "He had a date with this girl. I didn't like seeing them together so I, uh," closing his eyes, he concluded, "kissed him after he left her."

It was really quiet, almost like they'd left the room, but Jet knew better.

A fist bopped him on the head, just hard enough to make his eyes pop open. Longshot looked really disapproving.

"Why'd you do it?" Smellerbee stalked the few steps back to their table, slapping her hands down to lean in and glare from mere inches away. _No one else could pack that much menace into such a small body,_ he thought. "I know you like playing around but Li's, he's nice. He'll never figure out the rules you go by."

 _Like,_ Jet recalled guiltily, _It was fun, it's over, you can go now._ It wasn't like that with Li, though. They were friends, too close for him to give up. "It was an impulse," he admitted. "I knew it was a bad idea before I did it."

Longshot really could speak volumes without a word.

"I know! Stupid. Pushy. Impatient."

"You know better," Smellerbee said, easing off a little. "He's twitchy, you know?"

More code. Twitchy, skittish, nervous, they all came down to traumatized in one or another way. They'd grown used to seeing it in their friends among the Freedom Fighters. Longshot's silence was among the healthiest quirks Jet had seen. He was the bedrock under everyone's feet. He just chose not to talk while being their support.

He looked to the archer now for his steadying influence. When Longshot nodded encouragingly Jet sighed. "You're right. I don't know what happened. He isn't ready to tell me. I don't even think his uncle knows. When he's ready to talk I plan to be there."

"You don't just like him," Smellerbee said, wide-eyed. "Was he really upset? Is that why you're staying away?" She sat in her chair again, not angry like she'd been but clearly concerned. Jet felt a sudden urge to dive out the window. Was _she_ planning to give _him_ romantic advice?

"He was but he wasn't," he replied. It was humbling to imagine, but maybe he did need help or reassurance, something to get him through the week. "He didn't seem horrified, but he didn't seem like he'd been waiting for it, either. I surprised him." He left out that brief, bitter instant when the fugitive had thought that Jet might, after all, want to use him.

"Li's one of us and a good friend," he continued, "and if he decided he wanted me, too, I'd be glad, really glad." He cleared his throat. "Only I ambushed him and I owe him time to think. I promised to keep away for a while so I couldn't pressure him."

Both looked insultingly impressed at his decision. _Well, I always have been single-minded_ , he told himself. _Maybe I overdo it sometimes?_ The three of them sat in silence for several minutes, then Longshot brightened. He tipped his head slightly toward Smellerbee, then raised his chin. They could keep Li informed about the Freedom Fighters' plans and activities. There was no reason to leave him out. He was one of them. That was already decided.

Jet couldn't believe how relieved he felt. The others would be letting Zuko know that his decision about Jet wouldn't cost him their friendship. It'd also prove that he really did value Zuko's abilities, too. "Good thinking."


	11. A Bad Time To Lose Your Best Friend

A Bad Time To Lose Your Best Friend

When Jet showed up earlier this morning, Zuko had wanted nothing more than to tell him everything, to explain why he couldn't imagine being with Jet, Jin or anybody else. Jet would listen. He'd been waiting to listen for a while.

When the teasing started he'd been glad because it felt normal and safe. He wasn't even a little glad that Jet intended to stay away for a while, although time to think should have felt like a reprieve. _I already know my answer_ , he thought. _I'm sorry._ A week just gave time for the nightmares to take hold. They would, he knew that. Last night he'd meditated in the darkness, only allowing himself to doze now and then.

The predictability of work came as a relief, like it always did after the bad nights. Tea was tea, the demands of Pao's customers limited. If he got the order right and didn't spill anything, everything was fine.

Pao and his uncle were discussing upcoming changes to the shop's schedule. Some kind of festival, maybe? If Pao wanted them to work late a night or two he was fine with it. Zuko knew it was better for now if he had less time to think.

That night he made dinner, which Uncle seemed to enjoy more now that he knew the spices weren't stolen, and gave minimal answers to Iroh's questions about the date. Last night he'd described it as "nice", now Uncle Iroh wanted to know how nice and if he and Jin would be going out again.

"I don't think so, Uncle. There wasn't much we could talk about."

The neutral phrase didn't fool Iroh. He frowned, then his face saddened. "It will get better, Prince Zuko."

"Yeah." He wished that his uncle would forget that title forever. His former life was gone. It should be forgotten. Like some cruel joke, a poster had all but blown into his hands this evening while he was cleaning the shop's windows. The Avatar was in Ba Sing Se. Somehow he'd managed to lose that enormous flying bison.

For an instant, he'd imagined finding the boy and dragging him back to the Fire Nation, even if he would have to fight his way through the entire world to do it. He'd imagined pride on his father's face, maybe even affection, but then he'd seen the Fire Lord as he last remembered him, wearing a hard, implacable expression tinged with contempt. That would be the look that greeted Zuko if he ever saw Ozai again.

Accepting that was painful, but hadn't Father said suffering would be his teacher? _It's too late to become the son he wanted. If he ever learned about Shen...I'll never let that happen. I can't even tell Uncle._

Now the poster was folded up inside his shirt like a talisman. _Find your pet and fly away kid. you're free of me,_ he thought as he cleaned the dishes.

 _"Do you think we'd have been friends?"_ The words still came back to bother him, more often now than they'd done in the past. _We're enemies,_ he thought, lying sleepless yet again that night, _if he sees me or Uncle we've got no place left to run._ Which decided him, after all: He had to find that bison. The sooner it was returned to its master the better. _And,_ he thought, finally calm enough to fall asleep, _I owe him that much after giving him so much trouble. Without the war maybe we could've been friends. It's too late for that now, too._

The next morning at work they went over the calendar with Pao. There were two days late in the month when every business in the city was supposed to be closed. It wasn't some kind of festival, either, but something called Administrative Days. _More Ba Sing Se weirdness,_ he imagined saying to Jet, but then his amusement faded. He wouldn't be seeing Jet today.

It was a real calendar they were looking at and Uncle Iroh's eyes widened as his face grew very still. His hand settled over a date as if to conceal it and Zuko felt his throat tighten. Time passed whether you kept track of it or not. Not always knowing what day it was had been the one benefit to living on the run.

Iroh's hand rose and his finger pointed. "I will need this day off." Pao fussed and squawked but his uncle was firm. "This is not negotiable, Master Pao. I will not be here that day. It is a family matter."

"So you and Li just won't show up? I'll be short-handed!"

"My nephew will be here. This does not concern him."

No, the anniversary of his cousin's death had nothing to do with Zuko. He'd have been hurt if he hadn't seen Iroh do the same thing every year. He withdrew, wanting to be alone while he honored his son's memory. Last year, he'd seemed to be in less pain, coming out of his quarters in the evening and willing to share stories about Lu Ten. This year, so close to the site of Lu Ten's death, would probably be different.

"I'll be here," he told Pao, respecting Iroh's wishes. When he got home that night, he'd make sure his uncle ate, but if Iroh wished for silence he'd get it. Zuko knew he couldn't make Iroh's grief any less. He'd just try not to make things worse.

Jin came in later that day and watched him with a mournful expression. He couldn't explain and an apology might give her the wrong idea, so he just served her like anyone else. When their eyes met by accident, he found a weak smile on his face but managed not to say anything stupid.

She wanted to speak with him alone, that much was obvious, but he kept himself too busy to talk. Customers had never been seated and served so attentively and as soon as a table emptied he rushed to clear it and wipe it down. Normally, when it got busy Uncle would try to step in and help out front, but he seemed to sense that Zuko would rather work alone today. He was almost as sharp as Jet that way.

He could really have done with Jet's advice. What did you say in situations like this? _I think you're really nice, but I'm already being chased by every government in the world so there's no room for you?_ A not-funny joke, the kind Jet made all the time only he made them funny.

When Ava came in with her baby, he thought, _Spirits, what have I done and how do I make up for it?_ She was a sweet lady and didn't deserve to be shunned by him. This was just the worst day possible for her to come in. The way her deep brown eyes followed him, Zuko knew that tea wasn't what she'd come to Pao's for.

Avoiding Ava wasn't the same as avoiding Jin. Jin had merely, for whatever mysterious reason, taken an interest in him. Now she could just decide that he was a jerk and move on. If she told all her friends what a jerk he was, all the better. He wouldn't have to go through this again.

Although he'd hoped never to speak of it, he and Ava shared a connection. If he had to endure some more sleepless nights for her sake, he would. During a lull he told Pao and his uncle that he needed some fresh air and turned, catching Ava's eye as he crossed the room and left through the front door. She got the hint and followed.

He tried not to look at the baby, dozing in a carrier across her mother's chest. Too young to understand their talk, she wouldn't even recall it later. Enviously, he thought, _I wish I didn't have to._

"I'm sorry to have come again," she said."It makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?"

"It's fine. It's a tea shop. You can come if you want."

She glanced around them. This was a relatively calm time of day. If they spoke quietly, nobody was close enough to overhear. "I don't want to upset you or make you sad. I owe you too much." Her lips tightened. Like him, she was too proud to start crying in a public street. "I've done you too much harm already."

That stunned him. She felt guilty? He was suddenly glad she'd come. Taking her hand, he pulled her to the little building's corner and drew her into the alley. Then he told her, "You didn't," adding more fiercely, "You've done nothing wrong."

"My guardian spirit," she whispered. "So strong. Not like me. I ran away when you saved me. I left you behind."

How could you answer such shame? Only with truth. "If you didn't, Pearl might not be here."

She flinched, but then a small, unhappy smile touched her lips. "I tell myself that. I dream that that's what happened sometimes, that you were never there. I'm still ashamed when I wake up."

"Don't be. You had a duty to your child." He tried to make his voice commanding, strong enough to convince her. "Any mother would make the same choice."

"You're only a boy yourself." She reached up to touch his cheek just beneath the scar. "You've already gone through too much."

He put his hand over hers, willing her to feel the contrast. It covered hers completely and was calloused from years of training. "Being young doesn't make me a child."

He heard a gasp at the alley's entrance. In two steps he was there, Jin's wrist in his hand as he glared down at her. He pulled her into the alley.

"I'm sorry!" Her eyes kept flicking from him to Ava, her hands wringing together like she was washing them. "She followed you and you didn't come back. I wondered why...When you said it was complicated I never would've guessed it was something like this!"

Zuko released the girl. He could feel himself blushing. When he glanced back at Ava she looked mortified. "You don't understand."

"Sure I do! You're underage here. If anyone found out about you two there'd be trouble with the Dai Li." She peered past his shoulder. "It's sad. You can't even tell anyone about your baby."

"That isn't true! Pearl's father was Ava's husband. Don't insult his memory or his wife by saying otherwise!"

Jin offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm not going to tell on you, Li. You're nice. I wouldn't have asked you out if I knew you were in love with somebody else." She shot Ava a look. "You'd better not be playing with him. Li's a good guy."

"This is all a mistake," Ava replied, her face drained of color. "I have never been intimate with this boy. You have to believe that."

Jin stiffened, eyes going narrow with anger. Her mouth opened but Zuko cut her off. "Please, Jin, don't cause any trouble. This is all a misunderstanding."

Scowling, she said, "You know she's been hanging out with that rich guy. The skinny one with the good hair?"

 _Pan Beifong,_ Zuko thought. "That has nothing to do with either of us. Ava's been through a lot. If she decides she's ready for a new husband someday, and he's willing to stick around till she is, maybe he's good enough for her and Pearl."

Jin gasped. "You mean that? If she drops you you'd just give them up? Or will you just be her dirty secret even after she snags a rich husband?"

"It isn't like that!"

She broke away from him and ran off. He shouted after her but she didn't even look back. He turned to Ava. "Everything I said just made it worse. She wouldn't listen."

"It's going to be all right," Ava said, trying to look confident. "If she decided to tell anyone her, well, speculation, why would anybody believe her? I have proof that I was married. We've barely spoken to each other and always in public. That's hardly proof of a wild romance."

"If she does say anything you'll get the worst of it." Zuko's guts hurt. How did everything he tried to do right go wrong?

"She'd be dragging you into any scandal she caused. I don't think she'll do that. She's fond of you, Li." She managed a weak smile.

"I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

"You don't need to feel responsible for me. If she becomes a problem I'll stay away."

 _And if things get really bad I'll never know._ Anger began to wash away his distress. "Nonsense," Zuko said, "You haven't done a thing. If she starts anything, _she's_ the problem. We'll deal with her if we have to."

She nodded, a real smile warming her troubled features. "If you're so certain, I can't refuse."

"Good. I don't have enough friends to start chasing them away."

"I'd like us to be friends."

He felt better when he went inside, more in control, anyway. He was coming to think that that was the toughest part of his life right now. He was at the mercy of chance and his luck had never been good. If his bad luck began affecting others, what would he do? _Find a cave somewhere to live in,_ he thought. _I"m tired of hurting people._

The next few days were miserable. With Lu Ten increasingly on his uncle's mind, Iroh wore a cheerful facade that fooled the customers but not his nephew. Zuko had no reason to feel guilty about his cousin but still felt a need to make it up to his uncle somehow. Far away from Ba Sing Se, Iroh had seemed to grieve less over time. Now he was where his son had died and it weighed on him.

Then there was Jin. She hadn't come back after running off the other day and Zuko couldn't lose his sense of dread. What if she told someone her story? What if the authorities heard and believed it? He didn't know how cases like this were dealt with but didn't dare ask anybody. He wouldn't be the only one in trouble if he attracted attention for this. He wouldn't even be the worst off. How would Ava be punished? Would she be in danger of losing Pearl?

Jet would tease him for worrying too much. He'd have some sensible retort to all Zuko's speculation, something so obvious he'd feel foolish for overreacting in the first place.

Jet wasn't around, though, which made things even worse. He'd said he could handle rejection and they'd still be friends. What if he decided that Zuko couldn't handle staying friends with him? Zuko didn't fear for a moment that Jet would turn against him and reveal who he was. He feared that Jet would stay "friends" with him in only the most casual way, the sort who didn't actually talk, just waving as they passed one another in the street. Zuko kept wishing he could just say yes, but Jet would see right through any attempt at deception. This week felt like a preview of his lonely future.

"Li, do you feel all right?"

He blinked down at the constable he'd just served. "Did I mess up your order? I'm sorry, I'll get Uncle to redo it right away."

The guard kept him from taking the cup. "Take it easy. You always get it right." He smiled reassuringly. The beard really didn't age him much at all. "You just seem distracted."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Listen, my partner and I've been wanting to ask you something."

 _Wonderful,_ Zuko thought, _a chance to lie some more._

"How'd you like to get in some training down at the barracks? Gan says he could do with a decent sparring partner."

He meant with the dao swords, Zuko realized, mouth dropping open. Before a word could escape, his uncle spoke firmly from beside him. Zuko hadn't even noticed him come out front. "My nephew is very busy and has no need of weapons any more. Our lives here are peaceful."

Zuko lowered his head. "My uncle's right. There's no time." No time, no need. He couldn't attract attention. He had to become Li the invisible waiter. But he missed the twin swords. Training with them was nothing like fire bending, where he'd been expected to excel because it was in his blood. He'd become good with the swords because he'd worked hard to be and the work had been a joy.

The constable said something to his uncle but Zuko didn't stop to hear. He saw a man approaching the counter to pay and Pao was busy at a table. Zuko went.


	12. Under Water

Under Water

Toward the end of the day his uncle said he'd be home late, assuring him there was no need to hold dinner. Zuko hoped whatever he had planned would cheer him up, if only for a few hours. Too depressed himself to eat, Zuko decided it was a good time to begin his bison hunt.

He kept his swords under the bed, which felt disrespectful toward them, but he had no better place in the small apartment. With them was a recent acquisition, a demonic theater mask. It was smaller than his old one, curving around to fit the face more naturally, and to his eyes, at least, looked a bit fiercer than the first one had. Seeing it in a pawn shop, he'd hidden it in a tea chest and bought the chest. Since the pawn shop existed only to conceal an illegal betting parlor he didn't feel very guilty.

He'd spent more on the blue and white paint he used on both mask and cabinet than he did on the tea chest. Looking at it, gleaming and restored in the corner, he tried to imagine Jet's comment when he saw it, something teasing but friendly about his being too domestic.

He put on his dark clothes, glad that darkness came early behind Ba Sing Se's high walls, then strapped his sheathed swords across his back. Pulling on the mask felt right. For now, neither Li nor Zuko existed.

He slipped out through a window that let out into the alley behind their apartment building. There weren't many places to hide something the size of the Avatar's bison. Buildings that were big enough were busy ones like warehouses and factories. Some slaughterhouses might be big enough, too, but they were as busy as the other options and stank of offal besides. Who'd risk upsetting a beast that large? They'd want him calm or at least contained. For that reason it couldn't be getting moved from place to place, either. There was just too much risk of a creature that big getting loose.

It would be locked away somewhere, he reasoned, probably fettered. Zuko's wrists ached with sympathetic pain. He could have searched buildings quietly. He might have questioned people like the pawnshop bookie to find out who might collect such a rare animal. Those methods would take longer than the one he chose. He went looking for a Dai Li agent to trap. Knowing things was the Dai Li's job.

Agents usually worked in pairs, so he decided to check the red light district. He'd noticed that off-duty agents often stayed in uniform. Being Dai Li meant automatic respect and guaranteed special treatment. Who'd give that up because they weren't actually working?

When he got there, it looked like most customers were already inside practicing their vice of choice. Zuko was sure he could handle any trouble that did turn up. Hoping he wouldn't be wasting the night, Zuko lay on a roof and waited. For once, luck chose to favor him. There was the uniform, the distinctive long braid,approaching one of the doors with a window slit.

 _Sorry to spoil your night,_ Zuko thought. Capturing him with a thin, strong cable was too easy. _They_ _spend too much time on civilians,_ he thought, _He's sloppy._ Zuko hung him from a lamp post, limbs bound, then put out the lamp and several near ones besides. Most people were uneasy in darkness. He used that.

When he resorted to methods this direct, Zuko never raised his voice. He didn't use threats. He stated his needs in a firm, unemotional way that kept his anxiety hidden. As a side benefit, it scared people worse than if he _had_ made threats.

He was pleased that the mask and voice worked as well on the Dai Li as it had on Fire Nation officials. It did surprise him a little, though. The Dai Li were experts themselves at instilling fear. They must know all the tricks.

"Under Lake Laogai," the agent whispered when he gave in. "There are cells underneath, and training facilities. Weapons. That's where the bison is."

 _A hidden military base,_ Zuko thought. "I haven't heard of assaults against the Fire Nation base near the lake," he said.

"We let them be. There's an arrangement."

 _I see,_ Zuko thought. "Describe the layout."

The agent almost seemed eager to tell him. Zuko soaked up the details while a part of his mind plotted other information onto an imaginary chart. _Businesses aren't the only ones in Ba Sing Se dealing with the Fire Nation. The Dai Li means Long Feng, the guy who does the Earth King's thinking for him._ This was much bigger than a few greedy merchants. This city, heart of its nation, was betraying the Earth Kingdom. He could be sure the Fire Nation's side wasn't official because his father's pride would never accept a secret deal rather than conquest. Were the local Fire Nation officers just lining their pockets or was something more going on? Whatever their motives, they were dealing with Ba Sing Se's actual government. The Dai Li might believe they were shielding their city, which remained an unconquered symbol for the rest of their country. Did they think that was enough? The agent he was questioning could only guess at his superiors' reasoning. He wasn't exactly part of Long Feng's inner circle.

 _Focus on the bison for now. This other stuff's too big. I need more information. I need time to think. I need to get the Avatar out of this city._ Zuko didn't examine his own reasons or confused motives. Learning the Fire Nation had secret access to the city made him want the kid out of it even more. Which was exactly why the Avatar needed his pet back.

Even a secret underground base couldn't be totally closed off. The doors might require earth bending to open or close, but that wouldn't do for ventilation. People couldn't shut off their need for air, so there was a way in for a guy willing to crawl in the dark.

Zuko was. He was also a polite intruder. Sturdy wire grilles covered the vents he found, as much to keep out inhuman pests as human ones. He couldn't completely replace the screws when he put the grille back from inside, but it held well enough to pass any guard's casual inspection. _Besides, if I did leave it open a skunk would follow me in,_ Zuko thought, knowing how his luck worked. _Stealth's useless if they can smell me coming._

The vent was dark and he could feel crud beneath his gloved palms. He was sure there were bugs, too, but if he didn't touch any in the darkness he'd be fine. The dirt smelled earthy, nothing like a closed and neglected room, so he wasn't bothered by that, either. He might not come out where the bison was but Zuko didn't think he'd be too far off. The secret base couldn't have many spaces big enough for the beast.

The Dai Li he'd interrogated had given him a rough idea of the layout. There were loading docks/staging areas in this part of the base. It seemed like the best location for a large animal. There were storage areas, essentially warehouses, near the loading docks. As he slipped out of the vent he heard voices. They were all female, repeating the same words, and he knew he couldn't count on making another visit. He moved silently down the stone corridor and listened beside an open door.

"Ba Sing Se is the greatest city in the world," said a chorus of cheerful voices. Drawing his swords, he carefully used one blade as a mirror. It gave him a blurry glimpse of faces, all smiling. Their clothes were nice, their hair stylish. These were no factory workers. What were they? There weren't any guards and they weren't bound in any way. Maybe they were another form of Dai Li spy, collecting information as they walked the city and sang their ruler's praises.

 _Muscle for the poor areas, these women where people feel safe,_ he thought. _If you say the wrong thing, then what? Is there a prison here under the lake? Do really troublesome people just get buried under the street? With earth benders doing it, who'd be able to tell?_

He moved quietly down the hall away from the women. They were all now saying that their name was Joo Dee. That chorus of voices negating their own identity was the creepiest thing he'd ever heard. Ba Sing Se wasn't the haven his uncle believed. It was a series of traps waiting to be sprung.

Lake Laogai was only lightly guarded inside. The trick was keeping people unaware of the base's existence, which it seemed the Dai Li had managed for years. It was huge, so big that Zuko wondered if parts had been here before the city itself.

He clung to the ceiling or dove into an airshaft when he heard people approaching. The first time it was a pair of Dai Li, more relaxed than they ever seemed on the street. One of them actually laughed at something the other said.

The next group was anything but relaxed, probably because two of them were clearly subordinate to the third. He wore the same braid and shaven forehead. His clothes weren't dripping with medals or insignia. He just carried himself in a way that said he didn't need the guards any more than Father did. His narrow eyes had the same ruthless cast, a look that claimed mercy was only for fools.

 _Find the bison and get out,_ Zuko told himself. He mapped the place in his head as he searched. One of the warehouse rooms held a broken siege engine, probably taken when the Fire Nation's last push failed. There was a drafting table to one side with a set of rough blueprints. Zuko found it a hopeful sign. _At least they're studying the enemy. Maybe the deal is just a way to buy time._

The bison was in another of the huge stone chambers. The room held nothing else, but not to give the poor animal room. Enormous chains on four of its legs limited the beast's movement and shackled it to the floor. There wasn't any straw for bedding. He didn't see any food or water, either. He had to fight down a desire to find and punish any Dai Li who might be near. Denying food and water and causing physical discomfort were classic ways of breaking the spirit whether dealing with man or beast.

 _Stay calm_ , he thought _. Just get him out of here._ The chains were steel, but he could tell it was inferior metal. Maybe the Dai Li couldn't tell because they usually used stone cuffs. They might also think bad steel was still steel enough for the job. _Maybe the smith gouged them,_ he thought. _There's a lot of that in Ba Sing Se._

The bison was restless and tried to back away as he approached. It looked uninjured. Had they hurt it or did it pick up on Zuko's angry chi and feel threatened? It might. The bison was an air bender, as dragons had been fire benders.

"Let me get those chains off, big guy," he said, pushing up the mask."Sorry I didn't bring any water. When we get outside you'll have a whole lake to drink from."

The nervous animal rumbled, not a full roar, whatever you'd call a bison sound, but more noise than Zuko wanted. "Come on, I'm here to help." Moving with more confidence than he felt, Zuko walked up to the bison's chained leg, drew both swords and chopped at the spot where one link was soldered shut. Another blow, then a hard kick with his heel, severed the chain.

The bison grunted, turning its head to watch him with a huge brown eye. "That's right. I'm getting you out of here. Your master's in the city. Let's go find him."

As he broke each chain in turn, the animal seemed to grow more excited. When he broke the last, the bison roared, turning in a circle as if to test his freedom.

"Shh! You can make all the noise you want once we're out of here!" He tugged a handful of fur on the bison's muzzle, leading it toward the closed doors. He pushed his mask back in place.

Good thing he did. Two figures, probably coming to check on their six-legged prisoner, began hurrying toward the doors as he shoved them open. Only one wore the Dai Li uniform, so Zuko assumed the other was support personnel, maybe the one in charge of breaking the bison. Zuko ran at them and hit the floor, sliding between the two surprised men. His right hand sword flicked back, the flat of the blade striking the bender behind the knees. He twisted and leaped on the man's back, punching him hard in the side of the head. The second man stood frozen, facing the menacing point of Zuko's left hand sword.

Until a huge gust of wind sent him flying to crash into the corridor wall. Zuko sheathed the swords, then patted the bison's massive shoulder. "Like master, like bison, huh? Let's move."

He left the two men tied, locked in the bison's cell, to buy them time.

They encountered a couple of more Dai Li on the way out, but nothing they couldn't handle with surprise and momentum on their side. In his ponderous way, the bison was as impressive as the boy he usually carried.

They came to Zuko's chosen exit point, a loading dock area that let out on the lake. He noticed boats, floating and in dry dock. _Good. I don't have to get wet._ Even better, he saw that the doors had a manual means of opening, a wheel that made him think of his ship. He had to push aside the sudden question that tried to enter his tired head: Had any of his crew survived Zhao's mad attempt to kill the Moon Spirit? When the doors began to open he ran toward several small boats tied at the dock. The bison roared again as he leaped into the lake, managing to soak Zuko as he began to swim for the exit.

Zuko's body twisted before his conscious mind acknowledged the trio of approaching earth benders, managing to avoid a set of the stone manacles the Dai Li used in battle as well as to bind prisoners. Suddenly he didn't have time to check whether a boat had oars. Zuko dove into the water and swam for the exit. _I was already wet,_ he consoled himself, _and it's a lot warmer than my last long swim._ He'd also had to worry about coming up for air under the ice. This time the problem was stone as a pillar rose up in front of the exit. He struggled against a stormy surge of waves. _We can still get out. They haven't raised a wall yet._

Maybe bending stone buried under another element was harder because another pillar shot up, then a third. The bison launched himself up out of the roiling water while Zuko fought not to drown in the mini-tsunamis the earth bending had produced. Eyes blurring, he saw the end of the narrowest pillar crash into the lake, sent there by an air bended gale followed by a couple of tons of bison shouldering the stone tower out of its way.

 _Keep going, big guy,_ Zuko thought, trying to suck in a lungful of air and getting water with it. He choked and coughed. He had to get back to shore. Zuko could face earth benders on land. This combination of earth and water would kill him. He swam toward shore on waves rough as any he'd faced at sea.

The Dai Li had stopped earth bending and were watching him. They weren't giving the invader a fighting chance, that he was sure of. They wanted answers. A boat was launched and a pair of dock workers sent to retrieve him. Strong hands soon pulled him over the low side. He coughed and wheezed but wasn't as bad off as he pretended. Breath control was the core of fire bending. It also made for an excellent swimmer.

 _I'm fine if they don't knock me out,_ Zuko thought. He stayed crouched over, seemingly exhausted and helpless, while they rowed to shore. They were non-benders, boat crew rather than fighters. Since he seemed harmless, they didn't even tie his hands.

"Is he real?" one whispered to the other.

"He can't be the real one. He only attacks the Fire Nation."

They recognized him as the Blue Spirit, he realized. Maybe that was why they hadn't touched the mask, which had somehow not been washed off his head as he struggled in the waves.

"We should disarm him," the second one said, sounding nervous.

Zuko unhooked the swords sheath from its strap and handed the weapons over. The boat was small and these two weren't fighting men. He could take the swords back when he needed them.

"Um. Thank you, Mister Spirit?" That was the first one to have spoken, the expression on his face both respectful and scared out of his mind. Zuko had to wonder what kind of stories were going around about the Blue Spirit. He also had to recognize an advantage.

 _These two guys are scared of a half-drowned teenager in a mask._ That wouldn't be true of the earth benders. He breathed and gathered his strength.

When the boat reached the dock he climbed laboriously out on his own, then waited on the wooden dock, the two sailors standing a few steps behind him. The Dai Li trio approached. The leader noticed his unbound state with a frown and signaled one of his men. Stone manacles flew from the man's hands. Zuko dodged to one side, keeping his own hands well away from each other. The other agent launched another set and Zuko dodged them, too, using a side kick to launch them into the water. He stayed balanced on his toes as the first set came back like a boomerang. He dipped, escaping a head blow, and reached back toward the sailors behind him, grabbing his sheathed swords. With them, he batted the manacles into the water after the other set. The two men dove back into their boat. _Good,_ Zuko thought. He didn't want them to get caught up in the fight.

A plan had occurred to him, the kind of reckless idea that made his uncle wince and try to talk some sense into him. Uncle wasn't here, though, and the Dai Li were, one of whom was clearly an important man. Important enough to use as a hostage?


	13. Over His Head

Over His Head

The senior Dai Li was clearly important . He was also very confident. He walked onto the wooded dock with a thin smile. "Tell me, what brings the Fire Nation's great enemy to Ba Sing Se? Perhaps the Dai Li can be of assistance."

 _Great enemy? Who does he think he's kidding? Anything I've done is petty and he knows it! If he cared about stopping the Fire Nation he'd be working with the Avatar, not keeping him stuck here waiting on the palace idiot to grant an audience! He's trying to flatter me, the jerk, but he's no Azula. She can wrap people around her fingers like jewelry._ His reckless notion was suddenly more appealing, if not a whit more sensible. He stayed quiet, though. He just watched the man, who had yet to launch the manacles he undoubtedly carried like every other Dai Li.

Both the other Dai Li remained on land, so Zuko expected more trouble from below and remained ready to dodge. Which proved fortunate as the cavern's ceiling shuddered and several stalactites fell from overhead instead. _At least I was expecting SOMETHING!_

He leaped toward the leader, clipping the sheathed swords back on their strap as he rolled. Then came the manacles he'd been expecting but he was in a ball and rolling forward. It stung when they grazed his back but they had no chance to grab on. The man's feet backpedaled off the wooden boards. Zuko twisted on to his side and hooked one of them before the man touched his element. He yanked the man toward him and switched his roll sideways into water.

 _Equal disadvantage,_ he thought, and dragged the struggling man into deeper water. He quickly realized that all of the advantages were his as they fought the new waves caused by the stalactites' crashing into the dock and water. Maybe the man normally could swim well, but right now he was disoriented. He'd swallowed water when they fell in and his long overtunic had ridden up and tangled around his thrashing arms.

Zuko released him long enough to wrap an arm around his chest from behind. He swam backward toward the boat they'd captured him in. When the two crewmen abandoned their bailing and scrambled over the side to swim toward another, safer one he spared them a moment's pity. This wasn't what they expected in their secure secret workplace.

Before he climbed into the boat he clamped his hand around the man's throat, squeezing until he went limp. Another moment's wait, then he pushed the unconscious body aboard and swam around to the far side before climbing in himself. He picked up the oars, pointing one toward the way out. Zuko was vaguely surprised it was still dark out. His weary body insisted he'd he'd been down here for days.

"Release Long Feng immediately!" called one of the Dai Li.

 _Long Feng? I couldn't just grab the Earth King and his bear?_ He shook his masked head in a firm negative. Then he lowered the oars and began to row. They wouldn't risk Long Feng's life by more earth bending but they'd certainly send out boats to rescue him and gather agents to meet him on the shore.

 _I_ haven't _explored the shoreline,_ he thought with regret. He had no idea where he might find a safe landing or concealment. Once well clear of the doorway, he paused to disarm and bind the unconscious earth bender, pocketing a funny looking whistle, then returned to his rowing. At least he had a moment to clear his head and try to think of a way out. Glimpsing something big and pale in the sky, he looked up. It was moving, circling over the lake, and started roaring when it noticed him. Zuko had to stifle an urge to shout. _You stupid bison! You're supposed to be gone!_

The bison dove toward the water. When it struck, his boat nearly overturned and he had to shift Long Feng's limp body to keep his head out of the water that slopped in and further filled the bottom. The huge animal swam toward him, still making lots of noise and causing a heavy rocking sensation in the boat. Long Feng opened glassy eyes and vomited down the front of his twisted shirt.

Zuko slipped over the side of the boat and swam to the bison. It made a friendly rumbling sound that made Zuko grin beneath the mask. "That an invitation, buddy?" Swimming along its side, he rested a hand on its ribs. When the bison remained, well, friendly, he pulled himself out of the water and clambered onto its broad, furry back. He grabbed two panicky handsful as it launched itself into the air. Then he started to laugh. "No wonder he wants you back! You are one awesome ally, big guy!"

A few minutes later the bison swerved in midair with an unhappy rumble. Zuko could only grip his fur more tightly as the huge beast increased speed his speed, thinking, _I can't blame you. I don't want to hang around here, either._

"Appa! Wait up!" called a far too familiar voice. The bison slowed, his flight curving in air toward the sound. The Avatar swept toward them with his glider, moments away at best.

 _Did I really think it was that easy?_ _This is MY life!_ At least the buildings below were tall enough to risk a jump. They were heading toward the Outer Ring, too. The bison had enough sense to want out of the city.

 _That one,_ he decided. Tall enough, free of roof clutter, and he'd make it home in an hour or so assuming he didn't botch the landing.

He jumped, landed rolling, and stood a little shakily. He heard a cry from the boy above, saw the glider begin to turn, and headed for the roof's edge. Rough brick beckoned him down the alley side, which would also be an awkward and narrow space for flying children. _Perfect!_ He began to climb down, raising his body's temperature to dry his clothes. He didn't intend to leave a drippy trail behind him. He heard a soft thump above.

"What were you doing with Appa?" the Avatar shouted, leaning over the roof.

Sticking to the shadows, Zuko ran.

############

He couldn't decide if it was rare good luck or a disaster just beginning. The kid realized he couldn't follow without abandoning his bison to travel at ground level, which he clearly wasn't even considering, so he quickly gave up the chase. Zuko also managed to evade the Dai Li, who were soon distracted and hurrying toward their headquarters. He silently thanked the bison again.

 _Last they saw me I was on its back. Now they'll find it with its owner and good luck stealing it back._ He didn't consider that likely, though. They'd wanted to hold the bison in secret but now that wasn't possible. They'd probably try to convince the kid that they were trying to capture the thief. For the moment the confusion would buy him time he desperately needed. He could feel himself growing clumsy with exhaustion.

Uncle Iroh wasn't there when he got home. Was he getting serious enough about one of his ladies to spend the night? A part of Zuko wanted to examine the notion. It'd be great if he were happy, maybe even in love and ready to marry again. There hadn't even been a hint of the thought since his wife died, which Zuko knew must have been tough. _Grandfather probably started looking for a replacement before the funeral was arranged. He'd have wanted a backup heir._ Here in Ba Sing Se that wasn't a concern, his uncle was just Mushi, who made tea. What if he slipped up like he did their first day in the city, though? He told himself that wouldn't happen, but Iroh had been a fire bender for more years than Zuko had been alive. Sometimes, when they were alone, Uncle was careless. How would the woman react to learning they were Fire Nation? He'd have to trust Iroh's judgement, he decided. He couldn't wish his uncle that same awful feeling he'd had that night with Jin, when he'd realized he'd have to lie every time they spoke and just couldn't do it. Maybe Uncle could if the reward was great enough.

The bigger, more immediate problem would be the Dai Li, especially if they tricked the Avatar into working for them to capture the "thief". _He's smart. He won't trust them for long, if he even does now._ His brain was too tired to sustain any more worrying. He fell asleep.


	14. Sick Day

**FYI: I reworked the last chapter so you'll want to reread it for this to make sense. It needed a real finish!**

Everyone was talking about the flying bison that appeared over Lake Laogai last night. It belonged to the Avatar, who'd apparently demanded that a space be found that would house the huge animal as well as the rest of his group.

"Of course a warehouse won't do. They're traveling with a Beifong," Hui said wearily. "Imagine telling that lot that their princess slept in a barn."

"I guess now they believe he's the real one," Pao said, pouring for a party of four old ladies.

"He has a spirit animal!" the oldest of them said. "You can't possibly believe that he's another fraud?"

Zuko managed not to correct her, but Hui tried to. "It's not a spirit, more's the pity. If it was, maybe it wouldn't need a whole building for itself!"

"It's a spirit! What else do Avatars ride?" added one of her companions waspishly.

"I guess it won't be much longer, though," Zuko said. "He has the bison back. Isn't that why he came in the first place?" Both guards looked tired and irritated at being dragged into VIP business. He wanted to cheer them up a bit if he could.

"They're waiting for an audience with the Earth King," Gan said.

"So they're permanent residents," quipped a day worker seated near the constables' table. Zuko liked him. He wasn't a regular, even tea was a luxury when you weren't sure if you'd be working again tomorrow, but he never acted bitter or discouraged. "Li" had given his name to a couple of regular customers, hoping to land him something steady.

The constables kept looking at Zuko, making him hope he wasn't revealing how much he wanted the Avatar's group gone somehow. Having missed two nights' sleep and nearly drowned himself last night, he had to really focus on everything he did today. Others had noticed he wasn't at his sharpest. Smellerbee had frowned and looked worried when she came in with Longshot earlier, but then people started talking about the bison and she'd gotten this knowing, excited look in her eyes. He'd tried really hard to look ignorant of the whole matter.

The Freedom Fighters had come to tell him about their interest in city politics and the group Jet had just found. It sounded worth a try and had to be safer than sneaking around with a mask and swords. _Especially with the head of the Dai Le after me. Did I really need to grab Long Feng?_

The new wanted poster was already being distributed. Smellerbee had been positively gleeful when Gan showed everyone. They all wanted to know what the Blue Spirit was doing in Ba Sing Se, the leading theory being that he was after someone. The old ladies seemed convinced he was there to guard the Avatar, seeing that he "was just a little boy"! _They don't seem to think I'm human, either,_ Zuko thought. _At least everyone else thinks I am, even if they do have some funny ideas. All I ever did was expose a few corrupt jerks who disgraced themselves and shamed the Fire Nation. How did that make me some kind of Earth Kingdom folk hero? I didn't even do it for them!_

It had started with a childish personal grudge against then-Commander Zhao for denying his request for supplies and his crew's pay. While they wore the uniform, they were entitled to both, but Zhao had claimed otherwise. He'd stolen the funds, taking every coin in the safe, but found a shocking amount of Earth Kingdom currency. Unable to use it, he'd dumped the stolen funds, giving some lucky locals a windfall. He'd never found the source of Zhao's currency. Some might have been for bribes, he guessed, or for intelligence gathering, but there had been too much money to explain so simply. He'd never found enough evidence to get Zhao removed from command. Instead he'd been promoted and gotten an entire fleet wiped out. _I can't even just be glad he's gone. I keep dreaming about the Ocean Spirit, trying to convince it to release him.  
_

He must have been daydreaming because he suddenly realized Gan was standing close to him, snapping his fingers in Zuko's face. "Li? Hey, Li."

Zuko frowned up at him. "Is everything all right? You look worried."

"Nephew?" Iroh came out of the back. "Is there a problem, Constable?"

Gan put a chilly feeling hand on Zuko's forehead. "Your boy's come down with something. He's got a fever."

"I'm fine," Zuko said, but his uncle was touching his face now and frowning.

"I should have noticed you were unwell. It was very difficult to awaken him this morning," he said to the others.

Pao came over. "Li's sick? He should go home. We don't want it spreading."

There was a general murmur of agreement, as well as concerned noises. "Uncle?"

"I will take you home."

Noticing Pao's mouth open, Zuko said, "I can go myself. I'll get some sleep until you come home tonight."

Iroh looked ready to object, but Zuko straightened up and tried to look well. "I just need to rest, Uncle."

Hui pressed his tea cup into Zuko's hands. "Drink up. It's good for you."

He obeyed, embarrassed to be the center of attention and the cause of such a fuss. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow."

Gan frowned. "If Hui and I see you in here we'll escort you home ourselves. You have to take care of yourself to fully recover."

"Yes, sir." He ducked his head, already trying to reshuffle the week's budget to handle two missed days of work. Handing the cup to Pao, he went in back to collect his untouched lunch and left through the back alley.

He couldn't stop himself from wondering if the bison might be sick or something, too. If the Avatar and his friends hadn't left, maybe the animal was too sick to travel. _Something in the lake water, maybe? He seemed all right, but I didn't exactly have time to really check his legs. What if some of those scrapes got infected?_

If he went straight home he wouldn't rest. He did what seemed logical and went toward the city center, where an in-city delivery service had been forced to vacate its premises for the Avatar's companions, particularly his bison.


	15. The Talk

The Talk

"I don't like leaving Appa by himself," Aang said.

"There's constables all over the place," Sokka replied, head turning so he could admire the goods in a leather maker's booth. The owner's nod of greeting seemed a little grudging.

Katara had already noticed that people acted less friendly than in the Central Ring. She was about to say so when Aang said, "He wasn't alone last time."

"I couldn't see!" Toph stomped her bare foot, making the potted plants outside a nearby shop jump like there'd been a tiny, very localized earth tremor. Several nearby people glared in their direction.

Putting a soothing arm around the small earth bender, Katara wondered when Aang was going to accept that and forgive Toph. While an amazing earth bender, Toph was also blind. She used her bending to perceive the world around her, but she'd never trained on sand. She'd been unable to "see" the world as she could on soil and stone.

Toph was incredibly proud. Not being able to defend Appa _and_ save the others from the spirit's library, which had been burying itself under the sand, must have humiliated her. _I bet she was terrified, too. The sand benders could have taken her as well as Appa. Or they could have killed her._

The four of them were going back to their former residence, an attractive house in the city's Central Ring. Appa had refused to go anywhere near the place last night, so Aang had finally gotten him to rest on an open patch of ground in the zoo. Thinking how cramped the old one had been, Katara was glad he'd created the new, spacious zoo with his bending. The others had made it very clear they'd go looking for them on their own if they had to. Joo Dee had sighed at their "overreaction" and led them to the zoo after consulting with several Dai Li. The figures lurking around them as they hurried throough the dark streets had felt more threatening than protective.

Katara had the impression something else had happened last night. The Dai Li were usually a subtle presence in the Central Ring, but last night they'd been out in force. Toph said there'd been a spate of earth bending, too, right before Appa's noisy appearance over the lake.

Hard as it was to, say, arrange a meeting with the Earth King, the city's guardians could act quickly when the wanted to. While the Central Ring had the finest housing, landscaping tended to be compact, the only exception being the palace. Since Appa grazing on the Earth King's garden was unthinkable, space had been found in the Outer Ring. The business had used delivery animals so there was a small stable attached to the office, plus a neat little pasture. Stalls were torn out and fresh paint applied before sunrise. The former owners were nowhere to be found when Aang's group was shown the property. Joo Dee had also assured them that, while Aang's fear for Appa was unwarranted, the Ba Sing Se City Watch would supply protection.

The men they'd left with Appa seemed like good ones, without a hint of the Dai Li's disturbing watchfulness, like they were eager to launch their stone handcuffs. The constables seemed uninterested in spouting slogans like Joo Dee, too. If she'd sensed a problem with them, it was her gut feeling that they were a bit exasperated with the task they'd been given guarding the bison.

Aang yawned.

"You should get some sleep while the rest of us pack," Katara said.

"We need to get back."

"We will, but you're tired, Aang. The rest of us took turns, but you stayed awake with him all night, didn't you?"

"I can rest later."

"We don't have much to pack," Sokka told him. "Just grab a nap. Dad used to say a warrior needs to rest when he can so he'll be ready when he has to fight."

Aang was clearly tempted. Katara said, "I know you're tired. Why don't I go sit with Appa while the three of you go back to the house? You get some sleep while Toph and Sokka pack. I'll take another look at the deeper cuts on his legs. They were clean, but he won't be in pain for as long if I heal them faster."

He hesitated, but finally agreed. "Thanks, Katara."

She walked as far as the train station with them, waved them off when they boarded, and turned back.

#############

The constable in charge of their security came to meet her when she rounded the corner. He was about her father's age but lacked Hakoda's easy smile and sense of humor, making him seem older than he looked. "What is it?" he asked. "Did you see someone? Think of something we should know?"

"No. I just came back to look at Appa's legs again," she replied. On the one hand, she liked that he took his job seriously despite whatever reservations he and the others felt. On the other, she had a nasty feeling he'd be insulted if she told him she was there to protect the bison.

The barn and office didn't make for a huge amount of space even without the stalls. The office was small enough that they'd already decided to bed down with Appa. There was a pump outside, but if they wanted a hot bath they'd need to visit a bath house. It was still better than camping, Katara told herself.

The stable doors stood open. When they'd tried closing the doors for security Appa panicked, ready to charge right through them to escape feeling trapped. Since none of them wanted the anxious bison to hurt himself, the doors would stay open.

Fresh air and natural light were welcome in the stark space, but passersby kept pausing to peer inside. It was already getting on Katara's nerves. A trio of women had stopped to gawk. Before she could tell them to go away, the constable waved them off. "Move along, ladies."

"It doesn't really have six legs, does it, Gan?"

"It does. Let the beast settle down and he might feel like coming out. All the attention's got it jumpy."

"I caught a glimpse earlier. That thing's huge! Is it dangerous?" one of the others asked.

He sighed. "Corner a squirrel-mouse and it could bite, but no, the bison strikes me as more likely to run than attack. If he does take off they'll probably find a way to blame me, so how about you do me a favor and get going?"

"Fine. We'll tell Yumi how mean hanging out with the Dai Li's made you," the youngest, probably a daughter of one of the others, said. "Bye!"

A grin creased his face as he turned away.

"Yumi?" Katara asked.

"My wife."

The two of them went inside, Katara a few steps ahead. Someone was crouching beside Appa's leg. Dark hair obscured his face but she was sure she glimpsed scar tissue. Bending water from Appa's trough, she slapped him across the room and into the far wall.

Gan grabbed her arm before she could follow up on her attack. "Stand down. Self defense is acceptable, unprovoked violence is not. Am I clear?"

"He's too dangerous!" Katara jerked free of his grip, a little surprised Zuko hadn't already responded to her attack. The intruder was unmoving, limp as a discarded doll beside the wall. It wasn't even noon. Zuko's strength should be at its peak, but he seemed helpless. _Maybe it isn't_ him, she suddenly thought. _Appa wasn't upset._

He was now. The bison stood between them and the intruder. The bandages were off of one of his legs. On the floor was an overturned bucket, the spilled contents smelling strongly of herbs. She recognized the scent. They'd been given the herbs to cleanse Appa's wounds and prevent infection.

She hesitated. Gan pushed past her and Appa roared. "I'm just going to pass you," he said, taking a step.

Appa rumbled again. A hoarse voice came from behind him. "Gan's all right, big guy. Water bender's got a temper, though." He hadn't stood up. He was still on all fours on the floor, head lowered. He gave it a shake as if to clear it. "Ow."

"Li?" The constable shot Katara a furious look, then moved carefully around the bison's bulk. Gan leaned down, put a hand to Li's forehead, and spoke quietly. Then he shouted, "Hui, get in here!"

When the bearded young constable rushed in, Gan waved him over. "Li never made it home."

"He's soaked!" Hui had seemed friendly earlier, but the look he shot her now was furious. "You did this?"

"I'll handle the girl. Get him home and into something dry. No, the barracks is closer. I keep a few old uniforms there to train in."

Li seemed to object, muttering and waving a hand toward Appa. Katara moved closer, but the two adults closed around the young man, keeping her out of their circle. She heard the words "not safe" and "should be gone". Guiltily, she saw he was shivering.

 _He's sick? What's he doing looking after Appa?_ "I'm a healer," she said, placing a soothing hand on the bison's side as she inched by him. "I can help."

Hui gave her another glare. "He's wet already, thank you."

"I didn't mean...He looked like someone. An enemy."

She never got to hear his scornful reply because Gan silenced him with a sharp look. Then he turned it on Katara. "Are you trained to deal with diseases? It isn't the same thing as being injured."

"I've mainly studied combat techniques, but I'm sure I can help."

"I won't have you experimenting with your powers. We'll get a qualified doctor."

"But..." Both men ignored her.

The shivering boy seemed to resist their help. "...go home. Promise. It was the wires. They'd've cut him if he struggled. Fighting only makes it worse."

He'd raised his head a bit. She glimpsed the side of his face beneath the dark, dripping hair, pale but unscarred _. The scar's on the other side if it's him. But it can't be,_ she told herself. _Zuko wouldn't help Appa. And he's talking nonsense. What wires? And what's not safe?_ "Let me help. I'm sure I can lower his fever."

"I told you no already," Gan said. "You and your friends need a little lecture about Ba Sing Se," he added, voice going very low. He barely raised it to address address Hui. "Get him to the barracks. Keep him isolated. Get the doctor with bad ears."

"What about Mushi?"

"Send a message later, when Pao's closes. With luck Li's fever will be down. If not, we had to isolate him for public health reasons. The old man won't like it but he'll have to accept it."

"You think he's contagious?" Katara asked.

"I think," he said right in her ear, "the Dai Li would be interested in what's ailing him. That isn't a disease you want to catch, I promise you."

Katara pulled away to stare at his grim face. People didn't talk like this in Ba Sing Se, not the ones she and her friends had encountered, anyway. "I'll just rebandage Appa's leg.

Gan didn't say much while they walked back to the train station. What he did say could be overheard safely by anyone, a litany of shops, landmarks and interesting places her group might enjoy. They were alone when they boarded the train so she risked a comment. "You sound like Joo Dee taught you."

His laughter shocked her into a giggle of her own. "Who safer to imitate?" he asked.

People boarded at the next stop so they traveled in silence, Gan's face regaining its sober mask.

"Where's the Avatar?" he asked as soon as they entered the house.

"Sleeping," Toph said. Katara winced at the fabric peeking out of the bags she'd packed.

"Could one of you get him, please?"

Sokka rose, making Momo, perched on his back, chitter and take flight, settling on a ceiling beam. "Don't stay up there", he ordered the lemur, craning his neck to address it, "I will leave you." Looking at his sister, he said, "What's going on? Just tell me you didn't manage to lose Appa again."

"The bison's fine," Gan said. "There was an incident. We need to discuss a few things before you kids come to stay in the Outer Ring."

He sounded so stern that Katara had to remind herself he wasn't against them.

When her brother came out with Aang, Gan waved for them both to sit. "I hear you're quite the earth bender," he said to Toph. "You can even use your bending instead of ordinary sight."

"You heard right," the girl said. "I'm the best there is."

"Prove it. How close is the nearest person outside this room?"

"Huh?"

"Come on. Any nosy neighbors in the garden? Is Joo Dee coming to evict you all for good?"

Sokka chuckled, prompting Katara to think, _Gan's only pretending to be playing around. He really thinks someone might be out there watching us._ "Come on, Toph," she said. "Show him."

Rolling her sightless eyes, Toph listed the nearest people she could sense, a neighbor working in their own garden and a couple of people passing on the street, nobody really close.

Gan and Katara shared a look and she said, "Okay. Gan thinks there are things we need to know. We should listen."

"So you two got all buddy-buddy in an hour?" Sokka asked.

"I thought you were staying with Appa," Aang said. "Is this really important? Couldn't you tell us later?"

"At this moment, we're not being watched," Gan replied. "There will be guards at the stable, placed there at your own request, Avatar Aang. At least a few will be spying for the Dai Li, others would consider it their duty to report any suspicious behavior."

"Then get rid of them," Toph said. "We don't need them, anyway. We're on real earth."

"This isn't about fighting, Toph."

"You're wrong, Katara. This is about fighting," Gan said, "at least in part."

He sighed, making a point of meeting each of their gazes in turn. He couldn't meet Toph's eyes, but looked until she nodded, anyway.

"You've gotten the "No war" speech, probably more than once. I won't bore you by repeating it. I will say that the rule applies in the Outer Ring, too. Don't talk about the war."

That was different. Joo Dee pretended that the war with the Fire Nation didn't exist in Ba Sing Se. Gan stated baldly that it was a forbidden subject. "But the war is real. That's why we need to talk with the Earth King."

"Good luck with that," Gan said, his voice so dry Sokka snickered. "I can't get you in to see him, more's the pity. All I can do is tell you some things and hope they sink in. First, you kids aren't just moving house. You'll be living in a very different city from the Central Ring."

"How different can it be?" Aang asked around a yawn. "It's still Ba Sing Se."

Katara wished he were better rested. Aang was bright and sometimes mature, even wise, beyond his dozen years. Most of the time he was an ordinary, all too impulsive 12 year old boy. She had a feeling he'd really need to absorb Gan's little talk.

Gan, pausing to choose his words with care, said, "People around here are invested in the way things currently are. Going along with authority is their first instinct because it's always benefited them. That isn't the case in the Outer Ring. You'll find more outsiders, mostly among the refugees. The authorities don't acknowledge the war that drove them here in the first place. They tend to be less trusting and there's a good deal of friction. There are factions, political groups, and you don't know the players. Do yourselves a favor and stay out of it. Some would be delighted to parade the Avatar around as one of their own. Others would look to use all that power you have. I'm saying this as nicely as I can: not in my city. My job is to keep the peace."

"For Long Feng?" Toph asked.

Gan shook his head in denial. "Long Feng is a powerful, important man. I'm nobody. I like to be nobody. Normally I can just walk my beat and make things a little less hard for the other nobodies around me. Many, especially the refugees, have been through a lot. Now they're crowded together, poor, considered a problem in themselves by our wealthier neighbors in the better parts of town, and told not to mention how they came to be in this mess. They need an understanding kind of law enforcement, one that can tell the difference between a criminal and someone who's so battered and scarred that they need a friendly voice to talk them back to sanity. If we can. If the Dai Li don't get involved. Their methods are different..." He trailed off, then said, "I can't talk about them. You're visitors but I have to live with them, which means I can't cross them."

"If they're that bad, why doesn't the Earth King do something?" Toph asked.

"I won't be discussing our beloved, if symbolic, ruler. We have more important things to discuss than him. I've gone over politics, correct?"

"You told us to butt out," Sokka said.

"Succinct and accurate. Well done," Gan told him. "The more immediate concern I have is how impulsive you kids are and the trouble that might cause."

"You want trouble," Toph said with a fierce scowl, "I can show you plenty."

"You've just provided a fresh example," Gan said. "I intended to start with your zoo."

"It's great!" Aang said proudly. "Way better than the old one."

"It's very nice," Gan conceded, but he frowned while saying so. "It also takes up more of one of the city's most valuable assets, open space. When the Dragon of the West was besieging the city, nearly all of that land was used for crops and grazing. Thanks to your "gift", we'll have less to use if there's another siege. At best, we'll have to devote time and energy to undoing your work."

"Oh." Aang sagged a little, then straightened and smiled winningly. "I'm the Avatar. I'm going to end the war."

"Not today. Probably not this year."

"If we could get in to see the stupid Earth King..." Toph began.

"You'd be wasting your time," Gan finished for her. They all stared at him, aghast. "He's irrelevant to our daily lives. They parade him on a palanquin in the better parts of town on important occasions, kind of like a statue, but the statue wouldn't take up so much of my sleep time. He has to be protected from people who might kill him, or worse, talk to him. I almost wish Long Feng would just take the crown and save us all the pretending."

He sighed. "Now you've got me back to politics again. Toph, tell me I didn't just give an earful to a Dai Li."

"No."

"That's something. Now, back to your impulsive behavior and the problems they've caused."

"We really haven't done anything bad," Katara said.

"Leaving aside today? I could have arrested you, but let's discuss that in a minute or two. First, your prior assault on Ba Sing Se citizens."

"What assault?" Sokka said. "We haven't hurt anybody!"

" _You_ haven't. Today marks the second assault committed by your sister in my city. A third won't be tolerated."

"I haven't..."

"You ladies had words with some other girls. Fortunately the stream you tossed them into was shallow. Swimming isn't a common skill in Ba Sing Se, certainly not in the center."

Toph defended her. "You didn't hear what they said!"

"That's right! They were nasty, spiteful..."

"They used words. You responded with violence. You've been affected by the war yourself. You've gotten used to considering knocking someone over a bridge, or into a wall, to be an acceptable response to the most minor provocation. It isn't. I won't smooth things over for you the way Joo Dee did."

"This is about Li, isn't it?" Katara asked angrily.

"Who's Li?" both boys asked, but Gan ignored them to speak to her.

"It is, as part of this pattern of behavior you've developed. You've been in a war zone, I understand it, but you need to stand down." He was being kind, even sympathetic, even as he put her on notice. "I can't risk you harming innocent people."

"Katara wouldn't do that!" Aang was so assured she wanted to cry. After this afternoon, she wasn't so sure of herself any more.

"Maybe I should tell you what happened," she said. She told them all of it, from the scar that might have been there to the bucket of medicine she should have smelled from the start.

"How did he get in the barn, anyway?" Sokka asked. "He's not a constable, right? Because if Katara had seen a uniform she wouldn't have attacked him."

"He's a waiter. A refugee. I don't know yet how he got in. He wasn't coherent enough to ask. I will say that some of our refugees are very skilled in surprising ways. They had to be to stay alive."

"But he wasn't supposed to be there," Sokka repeated.

"No. The blame would fall on me as watch commander."

Katara couldn't leave it all on him. She _had_ overreacted. "Why was he so scared? He said things about wire and not being safe. I didn't understand."

"He seems to think the Avatar isn't safe, that the Fire Nation can get to him even here."

"He wanted to help us," Aang said softly, "but we hurt him. That's awful."

" _I_ hurt him," Katara said. "Don't take responsibility for what I did. I'm sure you'd have handled it all differently." She paused, bracing herself to ask. "What did he mean about wires? And fighting?"

"He's a refugee. Things happen, not always to soldiers on a battlefield." Gan shrugged. "He doesn't confide in me. I'm another customer at the tea shop, that's all. I think he was confusing past events and fears for the Avatar and who knows what else. Bad dreams, maybe?"

"You were protecting him," Katara said, the realization sudden. "You didn't arrest me because you didn't want the Dai Li involved. He was sick. Would they really be bothered by his, well, babbling?"

"They'd have questions." His face, deliberately, had no expression.

Katara wrapped her arms around herself. She'd been afraid before, but this wasn't a fear you could face by fighting or even getting angry. It was like being in a dark cave full of clinging spiderwebs, wrapping and trapping you at every turn, while the spiders waited patiently to feed.

"Is Li safe at your barracks?" she asked in a whisper.

"If Hui found the right doctor."

The one with bad hearing, she recalled.

"You should finish your packing," Gan said. "We'll say you let the Avatar get some rest before leaving the house."

They nodded, rose, and finished their task quickly. Sokka coaxed Momo from his perch on the beam and they left.


	16. Familiar Faces

Familiar Faces

 _All right,_ Jet rehearsed in his mind, _I couldn't manage a full week. You should be flattered!_ It was the seventh or eighth version of his "missed you" speech. When he'd led the Freedom Fighters, he'd never practiced a speech. He'd never needed to. Jet usually had a good idea what he wanted to say so he'd let the words come naturally.

Talking to Zuko again was different. The words that came most naturally were the ones that would drive Zuko away, full of his own needs and desires. He wouldn't risk the closest friendship he'd ever had on thoughtless words.

Jet kept telling himself that maybe Zuko wanted him, too, but in his gut knew better. Zuko would have come to him already. He was too direct to play coy, especially when he knew how hard Jet was working at being patient. _I still don't know enough_ , Jet thought. _I've got hints, little reactions and quirks, but I don't know why he's so nervous. I shouldn't have been so pushy. What if it came off as threatening? What if he can't get close to someone who feels like a threat?_

He wondered, as he had repeatedly over the last few days, if Jin was spending a lot of time at Pao's. She might have asked Zuko out again. Jet was learning just how bitingly jealous he could feel and didn't enjoy the sense of lost control. If he wasn't able to rein it in, he and Zuko wouldn't be able to stay friends because trying to control the prince was a lost cause. He'd make his own choices and if he chose Jin (or someone else later on) Jet would just have to live with it. He told himself that he could. _People survive rejection every day._

So as much as he wanted to press his suit, Jet wouldn't do it. He'd resist any dumb romantic gestures (unless he started wondering what a bouquet of flowers upside the head felt like) or lovesick patter (unless he wanted to be snarled at by a two-legged Komodo rhino). He'd stick by his friend and someday bear part of the weight Zuko seemed determined to carry alone. Besides, Jet wasn't completely without hope. If Zuko was as wounded as Jet suspected, he was also strong. When he healed he might change his mind. Rejected today didn't have to mean rejected forever.

He walked into Pao's after a morning at the warehouse and Zuko wasn't there. When Iroh told Jet he'd gone home sick, he couldn't quite conceal the undertone of worry beneath his placid facade.

"I'll stop by your place. I can pick up some soup and make sure he eats."

Sheer relief took several years off the old man's face. "Thank you, Jet. I will feel better knowing that he is not alone."

The problem was, when he reached the apartment Zuko wasn't there. There was no sign he'd been back since morning, either: no lunch bag or dirty dish, no wrinkles in the blanket on his bed. It was too neat.

Jet put the little pot of soup on top of the ice box, warning himself that panic was premature. If "Mushi" was still at work, the fire benders' secret was safe. Jet seated himself at the table to wait.

Zuko didn't come back.

The Freedom Fighter was patient. He'd hunted for most of his life. One of his earliest memories was of setting traps with his father, communicating more in gestures than words to preserve the woods' silence as they worked. He'd learned to set ambushes for Fire Nation enemies before his voice changed, waiting in cold blooded patience for the moment to act.

Time passed. _If Zuko went out for medicine he'd be back by now,_ Jet decided. He stood up, nearly started to pace, and left instead. If he had energy to use, he'd use it to search for his friend.

Anxiety made it hard to think. Had Zuko faked being sick? Was he doing something important? He thought of going to Iroh but Jet knew that Zuko concealed some of his activities from the general.

Jet's nervous wandering had begun to make the merchants he repeatedly passed uneasy. They didn't need to say that he was acting suspicious. If he wasn't a thief, he might be an angry refugee gearing up to do something crazy. He forced himself to stop and calmly ask if anyone had seen Mushi's nephew since that morning. The first responses were negative, then a small but strong hand grasped his wrist.

Smellerbee's eyes were red, a little puffy. She'd been chewing her lips, something she hadn't done in a couple of years. Longshot stood tall and silent behind her like a sheltering tree. "They brought him to the barracks," she said. "Supposedly he's sick."

There were holding cells at the barracks, although it was mainly a headquarters for the City Watch. Jet could feel his stomach knotting. Why the barracks instead of a doctor? Zuko had left work sick. How did he end up going in the opposite direction from home? "Let's go."

He wasn't quite reckless enough to go get their weapons on the way. The three of them would be too badly outnumbered and he wasn't certain that Zuko's identity had been revealed. "He really was sick earlier. They might be helping him even if his being at the barracks doesn't seem to make sense. If there is something wrong, we'll rescue him later, with weapons and a plan."

Smellerbee nodded. They'd rescued friends taken into custody before, from their own military as well as the Fire Nation. The stealthy way was the smart way, she knew that. She wiped her nose on the back of her hand, standing a little taller.

Longshot tapped his shoulder and pointed in the direction of Pao's tea shop. "Good idea. We should make sure Mushi knows what's up. They'll have to answer his questions, too. He's Li's guardian. You'll bring him?"

The archer nodded, turned and hurried off.

###########

After Gan showed them back to their new home, Katara asked if she could visit Li at the barracks to apologize for what she'd done to him.

"If his fever's down," he allowed, "but I'd better go with you. Li's a sweet kid but you should see him fight. Keep your water bottled up if he gets upset. I'll handle him."

Sokka raised a brow. "Is he sweet or scary? You can't have it both ways."

"He's normally quiet. Very well behaved, a little subdued when he's not with his friends, but he _is_ a refugee, one that learned to protect himself very well." A wry grin crossed Gan's face. "The time I saw Li fight, he swiped the swords right off me. Used them better than I could, too."

"That's sweet?" Toph asked. "You got mad at Katara for fighting."

"Assault isn't fighting. She attacked without justification." Katara felt her face redden but he dropped the subject. "Li was threatened by a sword bearing fellow refugee suffering from the delusion he was attacking a Fire Nation spy. Li disarmed him, then he and his guardian spoke up for the kid. Jet's had it rough. Had to pretty much raise himself after his parents were killed."

"Jet?" Aang repeated.

"Tall, skinny guy, kinda shaggy hair?" Sokka added.

"Friend of yours?"

"We know him," Katara said.

Gan must have heard something in her voice. "Not a friend, then. I hope that won't be a problem."

"I'm fine," Katara said coldly. "I don't care about that jerk. There won't be any trouble if he stays out of my way."

The constable shot her a look. "If you do run into each other I expect civilized behavior. Don't bore me with whatever your feud's about," he said, stifling Katara's defensive reply, "I'm not a historian."

"Fine," she grumbled.

Walking with Gan to the barracks, she hoped the waiter's fever had dropped so they could talk. _The doctor might let me see him,_ she thought, trying to stifle an image of his limp body striking the wall. _If I did hurt him I ought to heal whatever damage I caused. It's only right._

People were gathered by the steps of the barracks, a blocky, drab stone building. A constable with a bandaged foot barred the entrance, looking overwhelmed. "No, no, there isn't any sign of plague. We're just taking precautions."

"It's crap!" said a tall, all-too-familiar boy. "You can't lock him up for being sick!"

 _Jet._ Katara reached toward the flask at her hip.

"One warning," Gan said evenly. Katara folded her hands in front of her.

The other constable was trying to reassure Jet and the girl beside him. Small and thin, with short, thick hair, she could easily be mistaken for a boy. Smellerbee, one of Jet's followers. Katara squeezed her hands together, fighting down her combative urge. _If Gan can handle them, let him,_ she told herself. _The minute they go too far I can help him. Does he even realize that they're dangerous, though?_

A man with bland, handsome features came to stand by the pair. "Tell us the truth!" he said loudly. "If he is a danger to the people you have an obligation to warn us!"

"Not that clown Kono," Gan muttered. "Bloody rabble rouser." He raised his voice. "If Li's contagious we'll put out the word. After all, anyone who's been exposed will need treatment too so it doesn't spread. For the moment, it seems that Li's the only one sick."

Before Kono could respond, Jet asked, "Why lock him up? Why didn't you get him to a hospital?"

"Excellent question! Are sick refugees going to be treated like criminals any time they get sick?"

The waiter's friends both ignored Kono. "We could look in from the door," Smellerbee said. "We'll stay back."

Jet's hand caught hers and squeezed it tightly. "We just want to see him."

"You need to stay out until the doctor says otherwise," Gan said, sounding like he regretted having to refuse them. "The barracks was closer than a hospital. The infirmary's clean and quiet and we know the doctor we sent for. She's very good. At the hospital we'd have to take whoever looked at him."

Katara was growing more confused by the minute. The Freedom Fighters weren't becoming angry like she'd thought they would. In fact, Smellerbee looked like she'd been crying. Jet's shoulders sagged wearily but he nodded like he accepted Gan's explanation, which seemed to imply that Li wouldn't get proper care from some doctors. Was that what the other man meant when he said refugees were treated like criminals?

Another couple was joining the group, a tall, scholarly looking young man with black hair and a woman with dark, beautiful eyes. They moved politely through the crowd but firmly to the front. The man held a towel-wrapped pot in both hands.

Gan addressed the woman first. "Don't you work in the Central Ring?"

"I took the rest of the day off. I haven't missed work before so they understood." Though her voice was level and calm, Katara got a sense she'd have walked out of her job just as serenely if they'd threatened to fire her for leaving.

"How is Li?" her companion asked when Gan looked at him. "I noticed he was tired yesterday. I wish I'd said something to Mushi then."

"I was on my way inside to find out. Can I assume you told Ava?"

"Of course. It's hardly a secret and I didn't want her exposed to those absurd rumors he was in custody." He gestured toward the growing crowd. "So he's being treated in your infirmary. Has the doctor diagnosed his illness yet?"

"Maybe she has news. If so, you'll all hear it. No promises, though."

"Please give my regards to Mushi," the scholar said, then held out the pot. "There's a sort of restaurant, they make wonderful restoratives. Teas, soups and the like. I thought they'd have something for fevers. I know you won't allow us in, but would you please see that Li gets this?"

Gan accepted the hot,wrapped pot carefully.

"Are you certain we can't look in from a distance?" Ava asked. "To be alone when you're at your weakest is, must be, very difficult."

Katara found her vaguely familiar. Memory kept trying to distract her already confused thoughts. _Where do I know her from?_

Gan and the other constable reassured the small group at the front again. This core was made up of people who knew the waiter and were concernd about him. The crowd growing around them was something else, made up of curiosity seekers and people genuinely scared of plague.

Kono had begun to drift away from the front, talking softly here, urgently there, to the people who'd gathered by the barracks. Katara was beginning to find the guy suspicious. Gan seemed to agree. After a brief consultation with his fellow constable, he stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"So far, so good concerning the boy's illness. He had a very high fever, no coughing or nausea. There are no other reported cases even though Li works in a popular tea shop and spends most of his time with lots of people. Ypu should all go ahead and go about your business. If you happen to notice anyone with a high fever, get them to a doctor. Bring them here to the barracks or to a hospital. If Li's illness is more contagious than it seems, it's important to find that out as soon as possible."

"Are you trying to get rid of us?" Kono shouted, waving an arm dramatically at the crowd. "You need to remember who you answer to, the people!"

There were a few shouts of agreement interspersed with less certain calls and questions.

"Cut it out, Kono," Jet said. "These are decent guys."

Kono narrowed his eyes. "They're keeping secrets, trying to keep us ignorant and divided. Are you sure whose side you're on, Jet?"

The two faced off, staring coldly. A rough voice called down from the top floor. "He's on my side. If you've got a problem with him or these constables I'll be glad to come explain the concept of public safety. Then you can join me up here where I can hit you if you don't shut up!"

Despite his fierce words, Li was leaning heavily on the windowsill as he spoke. He was also wrapped in a blanket like it was winter, covering even his head. _How is he even out of bed?_ Katara thought. _He looks awful!_

Kono's lips were flapping like the waiter had torn a script right out of his hands, leaving him with no idea what to say. "Can you assure us you aren't being held under duress?" he finally managed.

"You think I'm a prisoner? Gan, who is this idiot? And why is Pen Tow standing on that foot? Has he not bothered to mention that he's supposed to stay off of it?"

The man offered Gan a sheepish smile when Gan looked at him. "All these people, sir. I opened the door to tell the little girl he's all right and they just kept coming."

"Who're you calling a little girl?" Smellerbee snapped, stepping in to glare _up_ at the constable in a surprisingly scary way.

"Don't terrorize the man, he's had a rough week," Li called down. "Please, Smellerbee?"

"Fine," she growled, pulling back until Pen Tow visibly relaxed.

"Anything you need?" Jet called up, grinning widely. "Company, maybe? I'll be glad to risk it."

"How many times were you told "no"? Stop being a pain, Jet. Do me a favor and tell Uncle I'm all right, would you? It looks like the whole city got told before he did!"

"My fault," Gan admitted. "I was planning to tell him tonight, hopefully bring him some good news. I forgot how fast gossip spreads, especially from some sources." His eyes seemed to pick one girl out of the crowd.

She gave her long hair a toss and Katara recognized her from earlier in the day when she'd teased the constable about turning mean. "I didn't hear one word about him being sick," she claimed. "I heard that that crazy water bender doesn't take well to rejection so she tried to drown him."

"That is not what happened!" Katara said, fighting an urge to show the little gossip what had.

"It's you! Oops."

"I'll oops you, you..."

"Katara, enough." He sounded so much like Gran Gran or Dad that Katara wondered if Gan had children. He had that tone down pat.

"Sorry," she said, knowing the adult would expect it. More sincerely, she called up to Li. "I saw someone I didn't know with Appa and overreacted. I'm so sorry for what I did, Li. I needed to tell you."

"Mission accomplished. Now go away."

The long haired girl giggled. "He really isn't into exotic foreign types, is he? Unless it's true he's got a secret girlfriend."

"He doesn't," Ava said with surprising firmness.

"Where are you getting this crap?" Jet asked.

"Jin."

"Jin is crazy! She makes up stories and then she believes them! She's wrong, I promise." Li's voice faded as he spoke. He sounded tired and sick and he didn't resist when someone came up and urged him away from the window.

A woman took his place, her graying braid dangling to the top of the window below. "That boy is going back to bed where he belongs. I've seen no sign that he's contagious, but I'm keeping him overnight in case the fever goes up again. Go home."

She turned and left, ignoring several calls for more information. A few people did as she said and left.

"Finally," Jet said quietly. Katara turned to look. A tall, straw-hatted figure was striding toward them, followed by a chubby old man wearing an apron. Jet pushed past her to hurry toward them. He lifted the hat from the younger man's head to put it on the old one. "Too much sun isn't good for a man your age," he said. Katara didn't hear the reply, or Jet's response to it.

She stared at the beaky nosed boy, another Freedom Fighter, who had fired the arrow meant to destroy a village full of innocent people. She forced her hands to grasp the fabric of her tunic, trying to control her outrage. _They tried to murder all those people,_ she thought _. Jet tricked me and Aang into helping!_

"Do you feel all right?" Ava asked. "You look perturbed.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine," Katara said. "Just thinking."

Smellerbee squinted threateningly. "If you've got a problem with Longshot you can take it up with me."

Katara turned toward her. "Do you guys even think of the awful things you did? Are you capable of being ashamed?"

Small hands closing into fists, the Earth Kingdom girl took a step closer. " 'Scuse me? Just what makes you think you can judge me or my friends?"

Gan had been ushering a pair of old men away, offering last reassurances, but turned toward the girls. "One warning, Smellerbee," he called. "You've had yours, Katara. Time to follow the doctor's orders."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Go home. Now."

She opened her mouth to object, but shut it when she noticed how Jet and Longshot ushered their companion respectfully through the thinning crowd. Friendly touches and reassuring words followed the old man. _That must be Li's uncle._ Before she could approach him, Kono did. Longshot gave him a hard look. Jet didn't seem as hostile but dismissed him firmly. The pair was surprisingly protective, like the man was one of their own family.

The scholar touched Gan's arm. "Will you have the doctor examine them, too? Li and Jet are all but inseparable."

"Jet's actually kept his distance lately. I think they might've argued about a girl."

"Not Jin," Ava said, amused. "Li only went out with her because his uncle was playing matchmaker. And she certainly isn't Jet's type."

Jet handed Li's uncle off to the injured constable, who led him inside with an air of respect as well as a friendly smile. Then the Freedom Fighter collected his friends and turned toward Katara. "What's this talk about you attacking Li?"

"It was an accident."

"You control your water bending just fine. I've seen you, remember?"

"Jet," Gan said.

"Is the Avatar's little gang too special to get arrested like anyone else would be?"

Jet's rising voice caught Kono's attention as he hovered at the edge of the crowd. He started toward them. "What's happening, Jet?"

"Nothing to concern you," Gan said.

"You're covering up for the Avatar!" Kono was so excited he sounded happy. "You plan to keep that boy "quarantined" until he tells the story you want him to! Don't worry, Jet, we'll get the word out. The people won't be silenced!"

"Will _you_?" Smellerbee asked. "If Li wanted out he'd've said so. Or just walked out, sick or not."

Jet gave her a surprised glance, then nodded. "Sorry Kono, she's right. You heard Li. Try turning him into one of your causes and he'll kick your butt. Sick or not, I'm not betting against him." He looked at Gan. "That doesn't mean Katara should get a free pass."

Gan started to reply, then scowled instead. "Lovely. Get going, all of you, and thank you for bringing the sunshine that is Long Feng into my life."

They all scattered. Oddly, Jet grabbed Katara's arm, pulling her into their group as they walked. Ava and the black haired scholar walked in another direction while Kono scurried off on his own.

"If you bring the Dai Li after my friends I'll kill you," the Freedom Fighters' leader said.

Katara again stifled a desire to lash out. "I didn't do anything to bring Long Feng down here. If you guys are up to something stupid don't blame me for any trouble you get into."

"We aren't. That doesn't always stop the Dai Li from visiting."

"And stuff can happen to the people they visit," Smellerbee added.

"I'm not planning to cause anyone problems, Jet. My friends and I just need to do what we came to Ba Sing Se to do."

"You've got your bison back."

"We need to talk to the Earth King."

Silence. Then all three Freedom Fighters started laughing.

###############

"Those jerks are up to something," Sokka said when she described the Freedom Fighters' reaction to her mention of the Earth King. "It's a scheme."

"I dunno," Toph said. "Does he ever do anything but throw parties?" She was tossing bits of her dinner into the air and trying to catch them in her mouth. She wasn't catching much.

Katara resisted the urge to scold her for the mess. She could ask the earth bender to clean up later. More likely she'd do it herself. "Jet says everyone knows that Long Feng really runs Ba Sing Se. They also know better than to ask him to do anything he wouldn't think of himself."

"But he has to care about the war," Aang said. "We managed to fight off the attack at the wall, but he must know they'll be back." He set his plate on the floor so Momo could pick at the remains of his meal.

"I wonder what the scary lightning girl and her friends are planning," Sokka said. "Wanna bet it's something horrible?"

"One crisis at a time, Sokka. They meant it. They really think seeking an audience with the Earth King's a waste of time."

"They might be wrong," Aang said.

"Remember what Gan said?" Katara's voice dropped. "The Earth King might as well be a statue. He's ceremonial, not a real ruler."

"So it's Long Feng we need to convince? That isn't going to happen." Toph's blunt observation dampened all of their spirits.

"Our information's too important to ignore," Sokka said.

"Tell that to Long Feng," Toph replied.

"Are we wasting our time here, guys?" Katara couldn't conceal her discouragement. They'd been staying in the city for a while now. "Do we need a new plan?"

They didn't come up with one that night. If King Bumi was a prisoner, Ba Sing Se's king a fraud and its true ruler unwilling to act, what leaders did the Earth Kingdom actually have left?


	17. Meeting

Meeting

When the Freedom Fighters arrived at the Movement's meeting that night, Kono shot Jet a sullen look. Since Smellerbee and Longshot both agreed with Jet that he'd behaved like an idiot, the trio just returned Kono's gaze dispassionately. When his sister came in, she just smiled around the room like she couldn't sense any tension at all.

"Our posters definitely made an impression," Kem Tong said, sitting at the head of the table. Kono hurried to take his seat beside her. The Freedom Fighters sat at the opposite end, letting others fill the space between.

Boli, the displaced farmer, immediately began to complain. "They took them down already!"

"We knew that would happen," Kem Tong replied.

"Our message is out there," Kono added with a grin. "People are talking!"

"Except the ones talking plague," Brick said. "Is that a distraction, do you think? A fake disease?"

"It's not," Jet told him. "Li really was sick. They brought him to the barracks because it was closer than a hospital."

"You believed that?" Kono gave him a disbelieving smirk. "The waiter's an obvious plant. You did notice that he came to the window to distract everyone the minute I started to talk?"

"The hot air probably woke him up." Smellerbee leaned her chair back on two legs, bracing a foot on the table's edge. "You don't know Li. He's nice. He's usually quiet but he looks out for people, too. The constables like him."

Boli scoffed. "I suppose they helped him out of the goodness of their hearts."

"They like him," Jet repeated. "So do we."

Kem Tong folded her hands on the table and looked solemn. "It _is_ possible that they saw an opportunity in your friend's illness."

"I can't accept that," her brother retorted. "He threatened me! That unenlightened thug is just their stooge!"

Jet was saved from his own temper by Longshot's snort. Reading the archer's expression made both of his friends snicker. "He bruised your ego," Jet translated. "You'll probably live."

Kono sputtered indignantly and his sister said, "Now, now. No harsh words. We're among friends." Jet was pretty sure he wasn't imagining the hint of amusement in her narrowed grey eyes or the smile that didn't quite escape her prim lips. "If we could return to business?"

"This is business! The people are being manipulated!"

 _He isn't actually wrong,_ Jet thought, _but does he always need to talk like that? Always "the people" instead of just talking about people. And anyone in uniform is the enemy. The Dai Li are rotten, everybody knows that, but most of the Watch are just getting by like the rest of us. They could've handed me over to the Dai Li that day, but they didn't. They gave me a chance because Zuko and his uncle asked them to._

Kono shook his head slowly, oozing disappointment and disgust as he said, "Even the Avatar is corrupt. Why did he attach himself to Long Feng? Who could imagine that he of all people would side with the exploiters?"

 _Do you honestly believe he has?_ Jet wanted to ask, but Kono was building up momentum and some of the others were nodding in agreement, so he spared a glance for his Freedom Fighters. He was relieved to see that they shared his wordless dissent.

Kono rose, resting both hands on the table as he made eye contact with each man and woman seated around it. "We need to make it clear that no one is above the will of the people. The Earth King is too well protected, but the Avatar's group is right here in the Outer Ring. We need to use this opportunity to send a strong message. We will not be manipulated or displaced at the whim of some powerful man!"

Again, there were signs of agreement, but Jet wanted to know what he actually intended. "So what's your plan?"

Kono gave him a blank look before rallying enough to say, "That is for the group to decide. How do we show them that we mean business?"

Everyone at the table traded uncertain looks. Well, everyone but his Freedom Fighters. They, like Jet, held silent because they didn't agree with the current choice of target.

"We should protest his presence in Ba Sing Se," Kem Tong said. "When the Dai Li protect him, the people will see that the Avatar is no mythic force of virtue, but an all too corruptible boy."

Jet was careful to keep his voice neutral. "He hasn't done anything."

"That's the point!" Kono slapped the table. "What, exactly, has this Avatar done for the people?"

Smellerbee and Longshot shared a glance. She said, "The zoo's nice."

"Spoken like a child," Kono said scornfully.

Longshot laid a calming hand on the wiry leg supporting her tipped-back chair, keeping her from leaping up and ruining Kono's charismatic, toothy grin. She shot him a grateful look. Kem Tong said, "My brother only means that you're very young, dear. You aren't experienced enough to know how the exploiter class often finds ways to distract the people."

Jet caught Smellerbee's furious gaze with his own placid one. "You really think Long Feng asked Aang to rebuild the zoo?" he asked, knowing Smellerbee would sense the mockery he hid from the siblings. They seemed to think in terms of vast conspiracies rather than pragmatism, which he believed to be Long Feng's guiding principle. He did what he did because it kept him in power, not to keep the siblings out of it, as Jet was increasingly sure they believed.

He watched the anger drain away for now as a tiny smile quirked his friend's lips. She'd save her fighting skill for real opponents, not beat up a pair of condescending adults. "Who cares about Aang, anyway?" she asked, letting her chair thump back onto four legs and addressing them all. "He's just visiting. We ought to worry about real problems and real exploiters. The day that monk starts locking people up for hours with no break, even for water, he'll matter. Right now he doesn't, not to me."

"Bee's got her priorities straight," Jet said, not concealing his pride. "We're looking to help people and fight the abusive jerks out there who are really hurting them. Empty protests won't accomplish anything, especially if we choose the wrong target. Right now, the Avatar hasn't done much of anything, good or bad."

"A family's lost everything for that monk's stinking pet!" Boli shouted. "I say we poison it and show him where our priorities are!"

"An interesting suggestion," Kem Tong said. Some of the others spoke uncertainly for and against.

Jet suspected that was because she hadn't firmly endorsed or rejected the idea, so he countered, "Dai Li guards, City Watch, plus three benders in residence."

"Don't forget the Blue Spirit's taken an interest," Smellerbee added with wicked cheer. "You know he rescued the Avatar from a Fire Nation admiral? There are rumors he found the bison, too. I think he's trying to help Aang do his whole restoring balance and saving the world thing."

Kono snorted. "A bit much to expect of a child. If he were crazy enough to believe his own legend he'd learn better in no time. The time it would take the Fire Lord to kill him."

"That kid mastered air bending before he hit puberty," Jet said. "He's already learned if not mastered two other forms. He couldn't beat the Fire Lord today, but given a few years? Don't bet against him."

"I hadn't realized you were a believer."

Jet concealed his annoyance at Kem Tong's amused tone. _She thinks we're dumb kids? Naive? I'd love to see her and her brother survive in Fire Nation controlled territory._

"I _believe_ in letting the Avatar do his thing if he can," he said. "I also _believe_ we've got other problems to deal with right now. How about we get back to coming up with real actions we can take that'll actually affect people's lives?"

Kem Tong's expression almost turned nasty, but grew calm and superior again before Jet's eyes. "We are working out "actions", as you put it," she replied.

 _Not bad, but her voice control could do with some work,_ Jet thought. _She's annoyed. Too bad. So am I._ "Useful ones or grandstanding?" _  
_

"Jet's got a point," Brick said. "We should be trying to accomplish real things. I don't think harassing the Avatar will do that."

"Somebody finally says something smart!" Smellerbee cried. "Now how about we talk about the factory district? No one working sunrise to sunset should be raising their kids in a crummy one room apartment!"

"She's right," Jet said firmly. "How do we get people to notice how these women are treated?"

"They have jobs," Boli said. "Lots of people are worse off. Picking up work day by day is..."

Jet cut him off. "It's miserable. We know, we've done it. Listen, if you want to affect how workers are treated, you need to affect how people think about them. Once they notice that factory workers aren't treated right, it'll be possible to make them see how other workers are mistreated."

"People think we're outsiders," Smellerbee said. "It's like they think Ba Sing Se isn't the Earth Kingdom, so we refugees are coming in and taking what's theirs. Like we're foreign invaders instead of their own people."

"They think Ba Sing Se is the _only_ Earth Kingdom," corrected one of the others, a girl about their age. A bitter smile made her young face old. Jet knew little about her, just that she'd lost her parents _after_ they arrived in Ba Sing Se, not to the Fire Nation. She, like Brick, used a false name, Dagger. She'd once proposed killing the Earth King. Jet wasn't sure she was entirely sane.

"That outsiders thing Smellerbee talked about, it's not just here," Jet said thoughtfully. "When we were on the road it happened, too. We were a problem to be pushed along to the next guy." Even Zuko had commented on it the first night they talked. Cruelty could be expected from enemies. More should be offered by their own people.

There were nods among the refugees at the table. City-bred didn't see it, they'd lived behind the walls all their lives, but the rest knew what he meant. They'd endured it, too.

"The refugee matter isn't the point," Kono said. "The authorities..."

"Don't care where you were born as long as you're quiet! Only quiet's not getting anything done!" Now Smellerbee was standing, tiny compared to Kono's height but more than a match for his passion. "People work and still go hungry! Parents work so hard to take care of their kids they barely see them! The problem is, there's so many people who need work that it's..." She scowled until the word came to her. "It's devalued. Workers come cheap so they're disposable. Everybody stays poorer."

Jet realized he was gaping and shut his mouth. He knew that most jobs available to the refugee population paid badly. He'd given little thought to why. Smellerbee was talking like she'd obsessed over the reasons from their first day in the city.

"We need to spread the idea that better pay will help everybody," she continued. "Give us all more money and we'll spend it, right? Merchants might even notice that they're doing better because those nasty refugees are buying more stuff. Then maybe we won't _be_ nasty refugees any more."

"You and the girls have been talking," Jet said admiringly. "What do you need with this bunch?" He waved his hand to indicate everyone in the room.

"Noise," she answered promptly. "Nobody listens cause we're a bunch of girls."

Jet noticed the "we" with a mix of pride and jealousy, then reminded himself that she'd never abandon them. If Smellerbee counted herself among the factory girls even though she didn't work there any more, they were lucky to have her on their side, but she'd been a Freedom Fighter first and would always be one. He and Longshot locked eyes behind her back. Those women were lucky to have Smellerbee's fierce loyalty, but they'd get the other Freedom Fighters', too. Any fight of hers was theirs.

"You heard Smellerbee. What kind of noise should we make?" Jet didn't feel any guilt for pushing their agenda. Boli, for all his righteous anger, lacked ideas. The siblings wanted to attract attention, maybe more than they wanted to help the city's population. Dagger was... well, her ideas tended to the bloody. Brick had sense, at least. He frowned, actually thinking about it.

"We haven't decided what our next action should be," Kono said. "As Boli pointed out, at least they're working."

"They don't get water breaks?" Brick asked. He looked at the onetime farmer. "I've worked with livestock. So has Boli. Don't animals work better when they get water and rest once in a while?"

"Sure they do. Sick or worn out animals can't do heavy work. But factory jobs aren't exactly heavy lifting, are they?"

"Twelve hours in the same position, sitting or standing. The machines make it hot, plus they throw up dust and wood or metal shavings. It's hard to breathe in some of those places. If you have to move or stop, like to pee, your pay gets docked for the time. We get a set number to finish every hour. If we don't meet the quota, we're docked. If we can't make it up by the end of the shift, they dock us again. If the watch didn't work, it couldn't be a defective part somewhere. That's the worker's fault, too."

"So you're docked?" From the growing disgust on his face, Brick was beginning to see how badly the system was rigged.

"How'd'ja guess?" Smellerbee and he traded cynical grins.

"How much do you actually earn?" Boli asked.

"If you're fast, lucky and good at holding it in, you can probably keep three quarters of what you're supposed to earn. It's really tough on pregnant girls cause the bigger they get the more they have to go."

Kem Tong made a face. "Do you really need to share such crude details? We hardly need to hear that sort of thing."

"We do," Boli surprised Jet by saying. "Sitting down work sounded easy until Smellerbee broke it down. Working dawn to dusk, with every fourth coin you earn stolen back? Women are docked because they're pregnant? My wife would have..." Grief crossed his face but he went on, "She'd have been on you ladies' side, all the way on. So I guess I am in her place."

Others were murmuring agreement as Smellerbee gave him a grateful nod and sat. She looked tired, more than words might seem to warrant, but Jet had been the one speaking often enough to know how she must feel. He'd have to tell her later how well she'd done. For now he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze.

"Your wife sounds like a woman I'd have respected," he told Boli. "I'm sorry you lost her."

"Me too. Every day."

 _I didn't know he was a widower,_ Jet thought. _I don't know why Dagger's parents got taken away, or why Brick is involved with the Movement. We need to know these people better._

A goal, drawing attention to the treatment of factory workers, had been chosen. The rest of the meeting was spent devising methods, which would be based on the popular Shadow Man's but bolder. His activities, attention getting as they were, amounted to little more than pranks, the group decided. The Shadow Man had targeted one factory, owned by a man called Mu Ying, more than once. Apparently the man was too stubborn to truly reform. Employees weren't locked in but working conditions were no better. He was too cheap to hire human guards so there was less chance of a direct confrontation. As Smellerbee noted, Mu Ying was determined to keep being an awful person. Maybe their plan would have have a greater effect than the Shadow Man's.

They decided to put it into action the next night.


	18. Taking Action

Taking Action

"Those things are hideous," Kono said. Jet and the others agreed with nods or murmurs. The members of the Movement, minus Kem Tong, had gathered at the factory they'd chosen to vandalize. "You didn't tell us they were so big, Smellerbee."

"Or mean-looking," Brick added with a nervous laugh. The biggest porcupine hound growled and he took a few steps back from the heavy mesh fence. "That one doesn't like me."

"Try being nice to them," Smellerbee said, giving him a scowl. She turned to Longshot. "You went to the butcher, right?"

Nodding, the archer stepped forward. Pulling a bone from a sack, he offered it to the big male, slipping it between the twisted links in the fence. The beast snarled like he'd brandished a weapon. When the smallest of the three moved closer to sniff the offering, the third, a female, nipped him, driving him back.

 _She isn't going for it herself,_ Jet noted. The female, like the big one, looked fierce and angry. There were marks on all three animals' hides, partly hidden by the long spines guarding their shoulders and backs and hard to make out in the darkness. He hoped Smellerbee wouldn't notice. She'd hunt their owner down and hurt him twice as badly. _More. He'd deserve it, too, the louse._

"Try another one Longshot," she said. "You didn't get old stuff, did you? They aren't taking it."

He shook his head and caught Jet's eye. If the porcupine hounds were trained not to accept food, how would they get inside the factory?

"This isn't working," Kono said. "Those things look vicious. They'll attack us if we break that lock."

Smellerbee defended them. "That's their job!"

"We're wasting time," Dagger said. "You've got those swords, Jet. You told us how good you are, so show us. Just get them out of the way."

"Why don't we use you for bait instead?" Smellerbee snapped.

"Easy," Kono said. "There's no reason for us to argue. We're all friends here." Neither girl looked convinced, but they subsided.

"I don't know what the Shadow Man did that we haven't," Boli said, "but those animals aren't going to let us in for a treat. New plan? Should we try someplace else?"

"No, no," Kono said impatiently. "We decided on Mu Ying because he's a known oppressor! We have to get in!"

 _It's not that urgent,_ Jet thought. _We could pick another place easy. All these factory owners are scum._ He had to admit to wanting this one, though. The Shadow Man's most impressive acts had been here at Mu Ying's factory. Jet wasn't about to be outdone by some common prankster.

"Me and Longshot can lure them out here," he decided. "The rest of you get inside fast, then we shut the gate in those ugly faces and bust into the factory."

He saw Smellerbee stiffen, warming up to argue with the plan, and caught her eye. He gave her a tightlipped look, _Not now_ , and she nodded unhappily, accepting the wordless order. He was relieved. She wasn't always inclined to listen, especially since they'd left their forest base, but he needed someone reliable with the larger group. They all claimed they could fight but he'd never seen them in action. He couldn't trust them yet.

Brick was eying the animals with a worried frown. "You sure? Those things take you down you're not getting up again. Maybe we should all fight them."

"We aren't fighting. We're a diversion. Once you all get inside safely we'll retreat. I have no intention of getting spiked or gnawed on." Longshot nodded firmly in agreement. His calm demeanor didn't conceal a fool.

"Right then," Kono said with a clap of his hands, "We've reached a decision. Let's do this!"

Jet and his Freedom Fighters shared a glance. Kono was a talker, not a true leader, they were discovering. He rarely made decisions but loved to pretend he'd played a pivotal role once they'd been made. It was becoming annoying as well as a matter for concern but for tonight the trio chose to ignore it. They had a mission.

Brick wedged his pry bar into the lock on the gate, twisting until it broke. Then, as a group, they backed away from the gate, which had fallen slightly open when the latch snapped.

Gesturing the others aside, Jet stood between them and the gate. He gave Longshot a nod and the silent archer ran to shove it inward, open wide. At the seeming attempt to enter, the porcupine hounds charged the opening with growls and barks of warning. Jet and Longshot moved forward like they intended to enter and the beasts rushed through the open gate. The boys hurried backward, taking care not to trip. Brick was right about one thing. Odds were good they wouldn't be allowed back up.

The littlest was the quickest. Jet sidestepped and hooked its front legs with the curved end of one sword. It went head over heels with a yelp, more surprised than hurt. The bigger male had gone for Longshot, who'd fended it off with the thighbone of something big. After getting the end between those gaping jaws, he kept the pressure on, following when it stepped back so its mouth stayed occupied.

Dagger held back when the others rushed the gate, yelling to get the third porcupine hound's attention. When the female turned, Dagger slashed her face with a long knife. She wailed in pain.

Smellerbee yanked Dagger away and shoved her inside the fence before either boy could react, snarling words Jet couldn't make out. Whatever she said made Kono flinch away from the girls. Dagger just looked angry.

Not that Jet could intervene. The smaller male rushed to the injured female's side. She wasn't down, not even close, so two angry animals, one in pain, were between the boys and the gate. Longshot's tactic only brought him a stalemate. The minute he released that bone the big male would be free to attack.

Jet moved in from the side, giving his friend a nod. Longshot released the bone and leaped past Jet, out of the way as the hook swords swung to catch the porcupine hound's body as it twisted and bound toward its prey. With a grunt of effort, the Freedom Fighter raised the reversed blades and pushed the animal onto its back.

Seeing the apparent threat, the others scrambled to its defense. He and Longshot skirted them as the two shielded the male while he regained his footing. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kono start to slam shut the gate, but Boli grabbed and held it. Whatever he said made Kono run over to the factory's paired doors where Brick was already at work.

The boys and the porcupine hounds were facing each other now at an equal distance from the gate. The way was unblocked but Jet doubted he and Longshot could win a race. If they broke and ran at least one would be taken down. He wasn't sure if the animals were trained to kill or not. Their victim might be torn to ribbons instead.

"Come on!" Brick called, sounding scared.

Jet didn't waste energy explaining his plan, just traded a look with Longshot. His friend tossed the bone sack at the porcupine hounds and pulled a knife from its sheath on his calf. While he vastly preferred his bow, he'd left it home. There were few enough of those in Ba Sing Se that using it would attract attention to anyone who'd carried one into the city.

The animals still refused the bait. The young one sniffed the sack, then moved closer to the other two.

Jet still believed that killing them wouldn't be necessary. They watched and growled as Longshot edged behind him and around, taking the position closer to the factory gate. He was as fast as Jet, but not as well armed and without his preferred weapon. Using two swords, Jet would be a stronger rear guard.

Smellerbee was just outside the gate, her long knives in her hands. He knew she'd dash in if they needed her, orders or no orders. He'd learned to rely on her that way.

Longshot sidled toward the gate. Jet shadowed him. The porcupine hounds growled, edging closer, but kept a wary distance from their weapons.

The boys shifted their relative positions by moving in a gentle curve, the porcupine hounds shifting in response. "This is taking too long," he heard Boli say. "Shouldn't we do something?"

"Stay outta their way," Smellerbee replied calmly. Jet could feel himself grin.

The boys began to back toward the gate, slow and unfrightened. Not prey, was the message they wanted to send. The animals followed cautiously. Soon he could feel Smellerbee's presence behind him. Despite her tiny frame she seemed to project an aura bigger than she was. Even her body temperature ran hotter than most.

"I'm inside the gate," she said. "Moving right so I can shut it."

Longshot was next. Jet knew he'd moved left, leaving a clear path for his friend and leader. As he entered, Jet would be guarded on either side.

"You can turn and run," Brick called from his place by the door. "The sooner that gate's closed the better."

Jet ignored him, except for a brief, irritated thought that if he focused on that door instead of fretting about the animals they'd get inside faster. He knew that if he turned and ran the porcupine hounds would chase him. If even one got in somebody could get hurt. So he increased his pace only slightly, calling, "Get that gate ready, Bee."

He stepped left as soon as he moved inside the fence and it swung shut fast. He moved right behind the gate, bracing it with one foot. "Longshot, you got...?" Longshot was already running a cord between the fence post and gate to tie it shut.

Jet sheathed both swords to hold the gate shut while his Freedom Fighter worked. He could feel each impact as the animals threw their bodies against the gate, slamming into it with snarls and barks. Boli rushed over to add his weight until Longshot finished.

When he had, Jet turned to the others, slapping his friend's shoulder and giving Boli a grateful grin. "How's that door coming?"

"We'll need that ax, after all," Brick said. The others had been amused when Boli insisted on bringing his father's ax along "for luck". It had been the grand prize in a wood carving contest.

Country children themselves, Jet and Smellerbee had understood Boli's pride in the heirloom better than the others. Jet suspected it had been a major competition, too. Twenty or more years old, the tool still exuded quality. Longshot, a bit of a steel snob, had raised his brows, clearly impressed.

Sauntering over to examine the door and its array of new scars, Jet frowned. "Pry bar didn't fit?"

"No. This place is pretty solidly built," Brick replied.

"Wonder how their regular invader manages," Jet said. "These doors aren't new."

"That's why they get away with calling him a thief," Smellerbee said, sounding both impressed and annoyed. "Cause you'd have to be an expert to break in like he does. I heard a couple of owners talking before I quit the watch factory. They think he's broken into other places but didn't do any pranks. Like maybe he's looking for something."

"But they've claimed he stole things," Boli said.

"Not the smart ones," Smellerbee said, squatting to poke at the lock. "The City Guard doesn't like false charges. Gives 'em more work, Li says."

"They're supposed to be public servants," Kono snapped. "Isn't catching thieves their job?"

"Yup. And fake work gets in the way of real work. Does anyone have a pin? Maybe some wire?" Then she went on, "If they look for some rich guy's stuff that never got stolen in the first place, they have less time for real crimes. Li says they don't like that."

Jet realized he was starting to feel jealous. She and Zuko had obviously spent more time together than he'd known about. Time alone.

Dagger had produced a coiled length of wire (Prompting Longshot to shoot Jet a concerned glance. _Why_ did she carry wire?) and Smellerbee was poking its end around inside the lock. "Not as easy as I hoped," she griped. "Did you guys bash the lock when you were trying to bust in?"

"I don't think so," Brick said uncertainly.

"Can you pick it?" Kono asked.

"Probably not," Smellerbee admitted with a sigh, rising. "I've never done it before and this lock's all beat up."

"There's a metal grid on every window," Boli reported, having circled the building while they worked on the doors.

"How about trying that ax?" Brick asked him.

Boli looked at the battered doors,finally touching a pale scar at the edge of one, several inches above the handle. "May be a weak spot here," he said. Drawing the ax, he set to work. After a few carefully aimed blows, he asked for a pry bar and used it to gouge some pieces of wood. He continued until there was a decent sized hole, switching between tools and working with precision. As he got close to the lock itself, he switched to a short knife. Finally he could reach inside and fiddle with the lock's mechanism, which gave way with an unhappy metallic click. "You boys warped it a little," he noted, pulling the door open with a jerk.

The group entered, pulling glow stones from their packs or pockets, which bathed the factory in eerie green light. The work room was long, cluttered and smelled of machine oil. Jet, noticing how close the long tables were to each other, couldn't see how anything got done. No wonder it's mostly women in these places, he thought. They're mostly smaller so they can squeeze their way around. I bet the ones this creep hires are all really small, too, like Smellerbee.

He could make out big machines at the far end of the room. Sidling between the benches in the aisle, he went to study them in the light but couldn't figure out what they were for. Heading back to the front of the room, he said, "Where do you want to start?"

Brick nodded to the big machines. "Parts for those must be expensive."

"Why not just burn this dump?" Dagger asked, wrinkling her nose as she looked around.

"That is a possibility," Kono said thoughtfully.

"Only if you're stupid," Smellerbee said.

Boli snorted when he laughed, Jet noticed, while Brick looked uneasy at the talk of arson. "No fires," he said firmly.

Dagger huffed. Kono looked ready to debate some more but, seeing that every one else agreed with Jet, he nodded instead.

They'd all brought pry bars. Those who didn't have theirs out already pulled them from their packs and they headed toward the machines. Since their intention was to send a message, they didn't wreck any of the machines completely. At least, Jet didn't think so. They smashed handles and gauges that seemed easier to replace than the tubes and barrels that made up the equipment's bulk. Brick pointed out that they should be cautious. Since none of them was familiar with the machines, no one knew what might cause a fire. There was just that heavy smell of grease in the air.

Boli raised his ax, about to use it on one of the benches, but Smellerbee called out, "No! He's so cheap he'd probably make the girls stand while they work."

He lowered it. "You know how they run these places."

They all wearily looked around. Their "action" had been more exhausting than any of them expected, Jet imagined. "Anyone else think we're done for the night?"

There were mutters of agreement, but Kono said grandly, "We're ready for the finishing touch!" He removed a jar of paint and a wide calligraphy brush from his pack. Careful of his clothes, he wrote slogans across the walls and on the barrel shaped bulk of one of the machines. Then he announced, "Now we've spread the word!"

"That's the most he's done all night," Smellerbee whispered to Jet, making him stifle laughter. She was right. This just wasn't the time or place for a serious discussion about it.

"Time for us to go, then," he said. When they opened the doors, which they'd closed so the light wouldn't draw attention, he noticed a problem. The gate in the fence stood ajar, pushed inward. "Hey, guys? The porcupine hounds are back inside."

"Can't you tie a knot properly?" Kono asked Longshot. There was a squeak to his voice that revealed more fright than anger. Longshot just gave him a contemptuous look.

"He tied it fine," Jet said. "Maybe they busted through, maybe they chewed their way in. It doesn't matter. We need to get out." Drawing his hook swords, he stepped outside.

"Does anyone see them?" Kono asked. It sounded like he'd moved to the back of the group, probably inside the factory.

"Not yet." Brick sounded uneasy. When Jet risked a glance back, his face gleamed with nervous sweat in the dim moonlight.

"Let's move, but keep your eyes open," Jet ordered.

As the group walked away from the factory doors they spread out. Like Jet, Smellerbee carried two blades and could use them well. She moved to the back to guard their rear. Longshot and Dagger, a few steps back, were on Jet's left and right, each with a knife. Brick and Boli fell in behind them, but Jet wasn't sure either knew how to fight. At least each held a weapon, pry bar and ax ready for use. Kono eased out the door last, looking anxiously around. He stepped out, sticking too close to Smellerbee's side. If the porcupine hounds attacked them, he'd get in her way.

"Hey Kono, why don't you come up here behind me?" Jet was careful to make it sound like a suggestion instead of an order. Kono scurried forward.

The animals came around the corner of the building. The big male was in front but the female was close behind, the side of her wounded face dark with blood. The last was a little to one side further back, sniffing the air.

"Oh no," Kono whispered. Brick brandished his weapon awkwardly. Dagger, on the side further from the porcupine hounds, pushed her waypast Kono and Longshot with a grin. "Here puppy, puppy," she cooed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

"Stick together," Jet said, not sure they'd listen. He shot his friend a look and Longshot moved so that Kono was behind the two of them. If he did panic, at least he wouldn't be in their way. From the way they stood, Boli and Smellerbee would shift to watch each other's back if an attack did come. For now, both watched warily.

"We can get them," Dagger said too eagerly, like she wanted a fight, any fight she could get.

"We should go back inside," Kono said. Brick agreed with him, voice shaking.

 _Those two are ready to bolt,_ Jet thought. _Once they do, they'll get taken down._ He hated recognizing it so late. In the forest, with his Freedom Fighters, he'd known the ones he brought on missions were able to fight. With the Movement, he'd foolishly taken them at their word.

Dagger sheathed her knife and pulled the pry bar from her belt. Jet thought he heard her giggling quietly as she moved toward the porcupine hounds. She called, "Come on! I love animals, can't you tell?"

"Get back here," Jet said.

"You're no fun," she replied, making no move to obey. "Come on, doggies, let's play a game!" The bar in her hand was swinging lightly by her side, more like a toy than a threat.

"Kono, are you in charge here or not?" Jet whispered.

The older man swallowed, his handsome face uncertain. "If they're distracted, we could get out."

"If we fight those things, someone's getting hurt," Brick said. With the way he was sweating, he'd probably drop his weapon if things turned violent.

Again, Jet wished for a more reliable crew. Boli seemed to be holding steady, but he'd gladly trade the other three for any one of his old friends. If nothing else, Pipsqueak was so big even these critters might be scared off. _I'd take the Duke, though, little as he is._

Jet took a step toward Dagger, intending to pull her back toward the others. The bar was swinging faster, but she still had it pointed at the ground for now. "Want to party after all, Jet?" she asked. "Good. Let's do this!"

She rushed the biggest porcupine hound and Jet cursed, following to guard her back.

"Head for the gate!" he heard Smellerbee call, but she gave a cry a moment later and he could only guess why. The hounds were in front of him. The trouble must come from one of their group.

The three animals scattered, avoiding Dagger's direct attack and trying to encircle the two of them. Jet noticed Longshot moving behind the injured female. _Good choice,_ he thought. _She's half blind and her own blood might hide his scent._ He kept an eye on her, though, as he turned his attention to the male in front of him. Smallest wasn't the same as small, and this one was the fastest of the three.

At least Dagger had the last one's full attention. She was crooning sweetly as her swinging grew less playful. More aggressive. "I want to play a game with you, we'll have fun, just us two," she sang. The big male snarled like he knew she was dangerous.

"Kono and Brick are both back inside," Boli said. "Smellerbee went inside to talk them out, but I don't think it'll work."

"Who needs 'em?" Dagger asked with a laugh.

Longshot caught his eye and Jet nodded. They were being given little choice. They'd probably have to kill the porcupine hounds.

The girl rushed her target but he dodged with such grace despite his size it was almost beautiful. As she turned with another cry, the young male abandoned his staring match with Jet to attack her from the side. Her glancing defensive blow made him yelp in pain. Jet ran toward them and the female followed, making him turn, swinging his left hand sword. She leaped out of its reach.

"Come on, you mutts," he heard Boli say, and the ax head gleamed as it sped down at the big male.

Dagger's pry bar blocked it and the animal hurried out of reach. She looked the stocky farmer in the eye. "Don't spoil my fun."

"This isn't a game! We need to get out of here!" He jumped back, less graceful than the porcupine hounds, when the bar swung at him. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Did you just call me crazy?"

Her voice, soft and deadly, chilled Jet,but he had two dangerous animals in front of him. He could only hope Longshot had already killed the third.

Only there she was, attacking him on the right, but Longshot ran at her, tackling her and rolling over that spine covered body. He rose a little stiffly to his feet, breathing heavily. Giving Jet a warning glance, he stepped behind Dagger, wrapping both arms around her torso to pin hers down. Boli ran in to grab the pry bar.

"Now what?" he asked as she began to curse.

"Inside. We'll cover Longshot."

The two of them stood together while the archer dragged the struggling girl toward the factory. Smellerbee appeared in the doorway, ran out and put a hand over Dagger's face. She had a rag in it, Jet noticed as Dagger briefly struggled even harder then went limp. Longshot slung her over his shoulder and backstepped toward the entrance, Smellerbee sticking close with both knives drawn.

The three animals were watchful and growling but they didn't attack. They might have been confused by the humans' behavior. Jet kind of sympathized if they were.

He and Boli were backing up to the doorway. Jet was sure his friends were close and ready to shut them. _Too bad we destroyed the latch,_ he thought. _How'll we keep them out?_

"We don't," he muttered. "Not for long. Boli, get in there. I want the others by the entrance and ready to run. I'm bringing our buddies here inside." He took an aggressive jump forward to distract the porcupine hounds. Boli turned and hurried to tell them the plan. Jet could only hope they'd all listen this time. Backing up to the door, he could hear Kono protesting.

"Those things are monsters! They'll kill us if we give them a chance!"

"So we don't give them one!" Smellerbee was clearly sick of dealing with him. Jet hoped she had another rag to shut him up. _I'd rather carry him than listen to him if it comes down to it,_ he decided.

"Hey guys," he said calmly. "Who's ready to go home to bed?"

"I think we all are," Brick said. His voice was still tense but he sounded under control. "Boli says to let them in?"

"You got it. Everyone's to one side?"

"Yeah." There were other, less clear noises of assent.

"Good." He turned and ran inside, jumping on one of the tables because that aisle was just too narrow to move fast. The porcupine hounds followed.

When all three were in the people hurried quietly out the door. _Now's the challenging part,_ Jet thought. _I need to get past them to get out._ He turned to fight, still standing on the table. The quickest one jumped up to face him. There were shouts outside and Dagger ran in, waving someone's pry bar. The end was dark.

When he found out who she'd hurt he'd make her pay. Letting only a hint of irritation show, he said, "You're blocking the exit."

"I'm really mad at your friend. I might have to cut his nose down to normal size. Let's kill these prickle dogs first, though."

"How about you get out of the way so I can work?"

She just swung the bar in her hand, grinning like he was joking.

 _Fine. Be in my way. If I've got to move you, I'll move you,_ he decided. He strode toward the porcupine hound in front of him and the female attacked from the aisle. It was an awkward scramble up bench and table and he kicked her back before she was all the way up. He had to block the young one with his hook sword, a quick slash driving him back. Dagger had rushed up the narrow aisle. The pry bar swung, catching the retreating animal's hind leg. His howl didn't hide the audible snap of breaking bone.

"Nice," the girl hissed. When she raised it again the big male launched himself at her arm. Kicking him back, she swung again. Jet couldn't see how he managed to dodge it in that tight space. The other male, in obvious pain and fear, managed to flee, limping past her along the table on three legs and scrambling down and out the door. It must have been agonizing.

 _One outside. At least it's wounded,_ Jet thought with a pang of guilt. _They can handle it if they have to._ He'd hunted all his life and it had never been like this. You killed your prey efficiently. You didn't toy with the animal like Dagger was doing.

"Come on!" Kono shouted from the entrance. "We have to go before some guard hears us!"

"Then shut up!" he snarled back. The female had climbed on to the table across the way. If she decided to jump, Jet didn't think the distance would give her any trouble at all. He turned toward her so she'd know he was aware of her,grateful there was so little space by the wall. The big one wouldn't be able to climb on the table from that side to attack.

Dagger was singing again. "Three little puppies, now are two, let's play again, just me and you." On the last word she struck toward the female, which dashed out of reach.

"Cut it out," Jet snapped, sickened. "I want you back outside, then I'll follow. Got it?"

"Hmm," she said, drawing the sound out like she was thinking. Then she gave him a wide smile."Forget it. I'm having too much fun. We have _got_ to do this again soon!"

If the space weren't so narrow his friends would have come in, but both were experienced enough to know that in the cluttered they'd only be in his way. He reminded himself of that as he tried to think of a way to get this lunatic out of his way again without getting mauled. He carefully didn't speculate about the stain on the pry bar when she'd entered.

Both porcupine hounds were watching Dagger. Jet didn't blame them. She wasn't just a threat. She wanted to _hurt_ them.

He could move past the table and escape. Unfortunately he couldn't abandon Dagger. Even if it weren't against a lifetime of instinct, she could give the Dai Li their names if she was captured.

If she wasn't playing we could've killed them by now, he thought. He moved toward the male, just out of Dagger's reach in the aisle.

"Will you come on?" she said to both animals at once. She swung her weapon and they growled in reply.

"You come on," Brick called from the doorway. "I had an idea."

"You heard the man," Jet said. "Game time's over."

Her sigh was an angry huff, but she finally took several steps backward. Jet followed, watching the angry porcupine hounds, ready to move if they attacked.

The female, still on the opposite table, crept forward. Brick pushed his way past Dagger, waving a torch in the animal's face to drive it back.

"What're you doing? We agreed no fires!"

"Just to scare them," Brick said. "Come on and hurry up."

Dagger was grinning at him. She held out her pry bar. "Switch?"

"No! Get out so we can move," Jet ordered.

With another angry sigh, she backed away. Jet didn't move until she was outside.

When the big one rushed Brick despite the torch, he cried out, twisting aside and swinging it down. There was a heavy crunch, partly hidden by the animal's deep cry of pain but not enough, to Jet's mind. The blow had caught its back just behind the powerful shoulders. Brick grinned at him like he was proud. "Let's go!"

The wounded beast actually tried to follow them, struggling to pull itself forward with just its front legs. Jet groaned and started toward it, the poor thing deserved to be put down, at least. The female got between them, though, snarling like she hated them. The younger male stood on three legs nearby, to wounded and afraid to attack but barking gamely.

Tears stung his eyes. Could you cal an animal brave? They were trying to protect each other, just like his Freedom Fighters would.

He couldn't see behind him. Dagger running past him, hurling the torch inside right over the animals' heads, caught him flatfooted. "What?" He couldn't get the question out, overridden by Kono's shout. "Let's go! I think there's someone coming from that other factory!"

The others started to run toward the gate but Jet started back to the factory until he felt Longshot's calloused hand grab his. "She needs us."

Turning, he saw his friend on the ground, Boli's long tunic wrapped around her thin chest, blood soaking through. "Dagger?" The archer nodded. Jet could hear the flames already spreading out of control behind him, feeding on wood chips and oil and a helpless creature that started to scream. He and Longshot lifted their friend carefully between them and tried not to jar her as they ran.


	19. Nightmare in a Walled City

Nightmare In A Walled City

Katara sat up in her bedroll, awakened by the sound of one of their Dai Li guards challenging someone outside. Moments later there was a knock at the stable's door and a voice requesting entry. "Come in," she called, sitting up and smoothing her sleep-mussed hair.

Toph was already sitting up. She'd probably "heard" more than Katara had through the building's floor, which was made up of smooth slabs of stone. Aang was up on one elbow, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He sat up straighter when the door swung open. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Their late night visitor was from the City Watch, young and unfamiliar and out of breath like he'd run all the way here. "I'm sorry to disturb you all. There's a fire in the factory district. I was sent to ask if you'd be willing to use your water bending to soak the buildings in the surrounding area. We want to keep it from spreading too far."

"Of course we will!" Aang said, jumping to his feet. "Right, Katara?"

"We'll be glad to help," she said, "In fact, we could put the fire out for you."

The guard shook his head. "Thank you, miss, but oil and chemical fires are contrary ones. They need smothering. Lucky that boy staying in the infirmary reminded Commander Guozhi. He's got friends who work around there and they'd know."

"He's right," Sokka said blearily, pushing himself upright. Momo immediately jumped in his lap, ready to start a staring contest. Sokka put the lemur aside gently and gave him a bit of dried fruit. "You've gotta be really careful with oil lamps on boats. Remember Dad always said that?"

Katara nodded, remembering Gran Gran's warnings about cooking fires as well.

"So Aang and Katara are supposed to keep homes and shops from burning," Sokka said. "How can Toph and I help?"

" Dai Li are trained to work as a unit. Since the ones assigned to you are closest we're sending them to deal with the factory fire. We were asking other earth benders to join spark patrols. If any fires do take root, they can isolate the area while we put it out."

"Sounds easy," Toph said, rising and stretching.

"I don't know if you prefer to stay with your bison..." the constable began, addressing Sokka.

"He'll be with Aang and Katara. They can soak buildings from the roof down. A fire that started up high would be toughest to put out, right?"

"Good thinking, Sokka," Aang said. "Could you give me a hand with Appa's harness?"

This temporary arrangement wasn't as good as the huge basket they'd ridden in, but if they had to travel, the rig of leather straps and saddle bags could hold their supplies and keep Appa's passengers from falling off. Tonight every water bag they could find was filled and attached to the harness. The guard helped them fill a couple of barrels and strap them into two of the "seats". Then Aang leaped lightly up while Katara's climb required a little more effort.

As the two rode Appa out into the yard to take off, she heard the young guard and her brother discussing a spark patrol to put out any small fires and the need to organize a bucket brigade in the neighborhood just in case.

"Yip yip," the young monk called. The sky bison took to the air.

 _Ba Sing Se is a maze!_ Katara thought with a shudder. The streets were a twisty and complicated walk. They'd all noticed and complained about it. Only from above could you see the full complexity of streets and alleys, nothing straight, some curving back on themselves, with so many dead ending in a wall or fence that she felt the urgency of their mission right to her bones. If the fire grew out of control, this city was almost impossible to escape.

"Let it fall like a good soaking rain!" she directed Aang, pulling water from some of the skins. She chose a row of apartment buildings, most with roof top gardens or laundry lines to feed any hungry embers that landed there, as a good place to start. Aang followed suit on Appa's other side.

Seeing the factory fire's glow in the distance, Katara fought a surge of panic, imagining homes and their residents being consumed. She had to remind herself that it was being dealt with and that she and Aang were doing the most effective thing they could to help out. "We need to work our way over there!"

"I see it!" he replied, pausing in his bending to guide Appa toward the fire zone. The huge animal fought the reins, rumbling anxiously in protest, before giving way to the Avatar's encouraging commands. "That's it, buddy, we can do this!" he called as the bison turned. He and Katara continued wetting the buildings below. Katara kept squinting down at the ground, fearing she'd see another fire beginning. She was sure Aang was looking, too.

Spotting a fountain, Katara drew water up to replace what they'd used. It was harder than it should have been. She splashed them all and realized just how tiring their repetitive, controlled efforts were. Aang was frowning as he worked, the expression alien to his cheerful face. A voice called out below.

Seeing several people looking up at them from the street, Katara thought, _They must be looking for fires, too. I hope they aren't mad we're getting_ _them wet._ If anything, they looked glad to see the two water benders. They waved, one woman calling out her thanks, friendly toward the Avatar and his companions for the first time. Katara and Aang waved back, the smile on his weary face so broad she wondered how it managed to fit.

There were a couple of neighborhoods isolated from the rest by earth barriers, the glow of fires rising from within. Entire families hovered close outside the barricades while adults fought the flames inside. _Evacuated,_ she thought. _They might lose a few buildings but the people are safe._ The fires appeared to be nearly out, so she and Aang wet the area down to prevent new ones but didn't stop to help on the ground.

The air grew hotter as they neared the burning factory. Indecision crossed Aang's face. "Maybe we should go help."

"The guard said that water bending wouldn't work," she reminded him.

"I'm an earth bender, too."

When Aang saw trouble he wanted to head toward it to help, always. Tired as she was, Katara found the energy to lean over and give him a hug. "They've got plenty of earth benders, Aang. We can help more by doing what they can't."

He nodded and drew water from one of the barrels. "Maybe we should check on that guy," he said, releasing a downpour on the row of workshops he'd chosen.

Following his gaze, Katara spotted someone running along a curving street. Mild concern became astonishment as he leaped up and climbed the side of a building as easily as Momo would a tree branch. Once he reached the roof, he broke into a run again. When he reached the edge he didn't stop. He leaped to the next roof and continued from building to building in the same stunning way.

"It looks fun," Aang commented with a brief grin, then turned serious, "But I don't think he's playing around."

 _I guess that would look fun to a boy who flies._ "He seems to be doing okay," she said, "I don't think he needs help."

"He's really in a hurry."

The runner reached one of the buildings they'd wetted and slipped, tumbling but somehow ending on his feet. He paused to take several controlled breaths before moving on.

"He knows what he's doing," Katara told Aang. "He might be a messenger but he doesn't seem frantic. We need to get these buildings wet. If we see him again we can ask if he needs help, but he looks like he's got things under control."

Aang gave her a reluctant nod accompanied by a smile. "I hope we do meet him later. I bet he knows all the best places to play."

##############

Zuko was careful on this next section of buildings, which were slick from the water benders' work. They were good, he admitted to himself. The girl had been self-taught when they first met and had obviously thrived under formal training. The Avatar was just as skilled, his control possibly a little better. _He's an amazing kid. I wonder how good his earth bending's gotten. They say his teacher's another kid, but she's competed against adults and won._

He spotted a dry surface. Jumping to the top of one of the temporary earth barriers he picked up speed. Earlier, he'd been forbidden to join the groups searching for small fires. The doctor, Naj La, had declared it too strenuous, although he'd insisted he was fine. Gan had backed her decision, pointing out that if he fainted in the street he'd only be in the way.

Unhappily, he'd accepted their decree, helping Pen Tow fill buckets with dirt and organizing patrol assignments. If they weren't given direction, everyone would naturally hurry to protect their own neighborhoods. Business areas, especially areas like the one with curfew exemptions, wouldn't be properly searched. Since there were people who didn't think "those sorts of places" ought to be protected at all, he was glad he'd been there to back the guardsman up. More blunt than a Watch member could afford to be, Zuko had made it clear that the elements, especially fire, were impartial. A blaze that started in a brothel wouldn't skip their homes. It could all burn.

Later he and Pen Tow settled into the kitchen, making refreshments that could be eaten by hand, hearty wraps of meat and vegetables and platters with lots of sliced fruit. Sweet and full of juice, the melons had disappeared fast when tired patrollers returned to fill up and rest.

The city was in good hands, he conceded. Whatever small fires had begun were being effectively handled. He knew his uncle was out there, too, able to sense any missed embers. He could then point them out or discreetly smother their potential entirely.

At last report, the big blaze at the factory was under control but still resisted going out completely. Each time the Dai Li withdrew their smothering tide of earth, some missed embers would take life from the air and reignite.

 _They can deal with it,_ Zuko told himself, but he'd feigned tiredness, gone upstairs to the infirmary, and climbed out the window to the roof. Luckily it was still a while till dawn.

Wider streets in the well off neighborhoods had brought him to ground level, but as he approached the poorest areas close to the factory zone, roof running became the fastest path to his goal.

He noticed the sky bison swerve away with relief. Zuko was glad to see the great beast was healthy. He was just as glad to see him taking his human companions in a different direction.

When he ran out of buildings, Zuko dashed across the fields of dirt and scrub plants surrounding most of the factories. A few were fenced but he'd climbed them before and had the route down pat. Guards weren't an issue for once. Some had left their posts to join prevention efforts nearby. He saw several resting, buckets in hand, after sensibly doing what they could to dampen their immediate area. Zuko recognized a couple who stood idly watching the big fire. This wasn't the night to explain their civic duty. Seeking shadows, he hurried past.

There were still flames licking at the interior of the brick factory building. Its wooden roof had collapsed inward, supplying fresh fuel. Sparks flew up from inside. Dismayed, he thought, _It's a great_ _big_ _chimney._

Slowing, he walked forward, getting his breath under control. _Can't they just bury the place? Sink it?_ Apparently not. Maybe it was due to the city's "arrangement" with the Fire Nation that they couldn't risk the equipment inside. Maybe they were too close to Lake Laogai and its caverns and would risk sinking this whole part of the city with any big moves.

He could feel the fire, greedy sparks thriving in the air and eager to grow once they found fuel. _They've got to get this thing out,_ he thought. As he got closer, he could touch the fire with his bending and began to suppress its energy, although he couldn't do anything obvious in front of the tired agents nearby. Creating a flame was so much easier than controlling it so it wouldn't spread. Fire was rightly called the hungry element.

Zuko staggered as he approached the Dai Li nearest the building. When they turned, one fell into a clumsy fighting stance. _Those men are exhausted,_ he thought. Noticing their cracking lips, he recalled a pump outside Smellerbee's job. With a weak wave, he turned and jogged toward the other building. The bucket was still hung by the pump. _Good, the guards here are still jerks. I don't have the energy to waste on etiquette lessons tonight._ Instead he filled the bucket and brought it to the agents trying to end the fire. "No cups," he called as he approached them. "Sorry."

The surprised agent gave him a grateful half-smile before accepting the water. The guy's hands were shaking so Zuko stayed close enough to keep hold of the heavy bucket. He did the same when the others came to drink.

Smoldering timbers had fallen to block the paired doors to the factory, Zuko noticed, because those doors were wide open. The sight gave birth to an ugly suspicion. "The owner has guard dogs," he said.

"Under the dome there. They didn't want to get back, the bitch especially. She kept trying to run inside when we got the flames down a bit. One of our men thought there might be someone inside."

Zuko's scar hurt just at the thought. He could all too easily imagine being trapped inside, flesh puckering, beginning to burn and char, being consumed. He forced the image/feeling away. "Has anyone been able to get inside to check?"

"He ran in while we contained the animals. Then the roof fell." Such a plain statement of fact couldn't conceal the pain behind the words. One of their own was in there, possibly dead, possibly suffering terribly.

Zuko's weak eye was tearing in response to phantom pain. These men were afraid to go in. Earthen armor could become a kiln in that heat, the defense becoming a torture device, then a tomb. Zuko feared the fire, too. He wouldn't allow it a single life he could save. Putting the bucket down, he took off his belt and dropped it in the water, pulling off his long overshirt and letting it fall to the ground. Wringing the dripping belt out, he wrapped the wet fabric around his head, covering his nose and mouth. Then he dumped the remaining water over himself.

"I'll be out soon!" he called as he ran toward the doors, ducking under the timbers to crawl inside.

Terrible heat. Blinding smoke. A horribly familiar burned flesh stink. As he crawled, his hand touched something. A narrow limb. Exploring by touch, he recognized it as inhuman. Coming to the head, he touched a muzzle, the remains of long soft ears and spikes that had guarded the vulnerable shoulders and back from attack. _Spirits, let the smoke have killed him first,_ Zuko thought. Or the unknown invader, but he didn't dare think about that yet. He needed to control every breath, every thought, if he was going to find the missing Dai Li agent.

He continued crawling, weakening the nearest flames with his bending as he reached ahead, hoping every moment to touch another body. _Alive. Please alive._ Zuko tried to reach under the remains of a burning work table. Bits of hot metal, the remains of tools. Nothing else, and the table was nearly consumed. Head low, taking slow and careful breaths, Zuko thought _, The doors are blocked. The tables are wood. I want to live. Where's shelter?_

The metal machines in back would be like ovens. Would the agent think of that? What if he panicked? _He was thinking. He didn't go under the tables,_ Zuko told himself. There were places besides the main workroom. The office or the supply closet. _Greasy rags or paperwork? Mop and bucket and pipes...water tap!_ There was a small, intense fire outside the windowless office. The rags. He touched the supply closet's door. It wasn't as burnt as it should be.

 _He wet it outside to slow the fire._ Zuko coughed. He'd been in here too long already. The door. He forced himself to stand, pulled it open, and looked, For an instant, he thought he'd guessed wrong.

In the back by the water pipe was a lumpen pile of fabric. He reached down and touched damp cloth, pulling it aside to reveal the dazed looking young agent. "Let's go."

Zuko wet their clothes down again, making sure the Dai Li's long braid was tucked under the robe when he pulled it on. He peered out, wishing he could just bend the surrounding flames out of their path. "You carry cables, right? For climbing."

With a cough to clear his throat, the agent managed to reply. "Yes."

Zuko held out his hand, then snapped his fingers. "Focus! Cable."

He handed it right over, probably too dizzy from the heat and smoke to recall that Dai Li _gave_ orders. They didn't _take_ them from anyone but Long Feng.

Shaking out the cord, Zuko looked up the chimneylike walls, then back at the entrance. Rubble kept falling, feeding the workroom fire and blocking the only exit. The only one that didn't involve going up, at least. He launched the cable, its claw catching at an outcropping high on the damaged brick wall. Yanking on it, Zuko waved the agent over to join him. The other gave it a tug before starting to climb.

"Wait." Pulling the belt from his head,Zuko threaded it through the weakened man's belt and around his own waist. Wishing he had a better support rig, he nodded. The two began to climb the cable, Zuko bracing his feet on the hot wall and taking as much of the agent's weight against his body as he could.

When the man groaned and stopped, Zuko rested his hands on the cable right under his. "Walk up!" he ordered. Like some awkward eight-limbed beast, the two climbed.

Sparks swirled around them and the only thing Zuko could do was prevent them from igniting the cable or their rapidly drying clothes and hair. He couldn't prevent them from blowing upward and out, toward the city's vulnerable heart. _Someone started this,_ he thought, using the outrage to feed his own inner fire and give him strength. _If the Dai Li don't find them, or the Watch, I will._

He didn't dare to rest when they reached the wall's top. He pulled up the cord, about to secure it for the downward climb, when an earthen ramp rose up a few feet away, topped by a pair of Dai Li. Untying the belt, he lowered their comrade before dropping to the ramp himself, so tired and dizzy that he nearly tumbled right off. Strong hands caught him, keeping him steady as they returned to ground level. "Dump dirt in from above," he muttered in the agent's ear, "Roof's wide open."

He didn't realize he'd passed out until later. He and the young agent were in the City Watch's infirmary, both tucked into cots. His uncle was seated on a stool between them. He was frowning down at Zuko. A smile wiped the worry away when he noticed that Zuko was awake. "You were not to over-exert yourself, nephew."

"Sorry," Zuko managed to whisper. "I was afraid."

Iroh nodded gravely. "And so you ran toward the source of your fear?"

Zuko was sure he blushed. "I kept thinking it might spread. I had to be sure it was out."

Iroh smiled down at him and stroked his hair, which had to be a revoltingly sooty mess. The old man didn't seem to care, though. "It is. No lives were lost. All is well, nephew, so rest."

Zuko let his eyes shut. His uncle wasn't completely right. There was an arsonist in their city, perhaps planning more madness. But he was tired, and others must have noticed those open doors just like he had. The Dai Li were relentless. For this crime, he could cheer them on in their hunt.


	20. The Hard Choice

The Hard Choice

Smellerbee rarely let on that she felt pain. In the past, Jet had been appalled by the injuries she'd taken and continued to fight with while they harassed Fire Nation troops. Her stomach wound was bad, so bad that his fierce, stoic friend released tiny mewls of pain as he and Longshot carried her, at first upright, but soon rigging a stretcher from Longshot's long overshirt. It wasn't stiff enough for a proper stretcher, it was just the shirt, the two of them supporting its ends, but at least she was lying down.

Boli had scouted their way out of the factory zone. Now he led them down side streets and narrow alleys. "They say that water bender can heal. That's where we're going," he said.

Jet felt sick. "We've crossed paths. She hates my guts. Katara won't help."

"We'll convince her," Boli said, something ugly in his voice. "They'll ask questions if we go to a hospital. And we're refugees. The best we can expect is that they'll assign some ham-handed student to use her wound for practice. I won't allow that, not twice." His voice held more than bitterness. Boli was barely controlling rage.

 _Is that how his wife died?_ Jet wondered. He also wondered suddenly if it was safe to bring this man to Katara. Jet knew how to be ruthless but the Water Tribe girl was no enemy. Was Boli going to make that distinction? Jet couldn't trust his own judgement of the man, not with Smellerbee so badly hurt because he'd missed seeing just how vicious Dagger was.

He'd heard of back alley doctors, failed students or doctors who'd lost their right to practice. He didn't know any, let alone which were actually skilled. Longshot looked back over his shoulder into Jet's blurring eyes. He kept telling himself it was smoke, but it wasn't getting better as they got further from the fire. Teary or not, he could see what his friend was asking. They'd do whatever they had to, although Jet knew that in this case violence wouldn't serve. He took a deep breath, adjusted his grip on the long shirt, and said, "We'll have to play it soft. Do _not_ get her mad, guys. We need her bending to heal Smellerbee. They're staying at some barn, right? Fastest way, Boli, please."

The streets were more and more active as word of the fire spread. People were walking with buckets of soil or water, checking planters, awnings, heaps of rubbish, anything that might conceal the beginnings of another fire. Jet could only cringe inwardly and hide his guilt. They pushed past a couple of people who asked about Smellerbee's injury.

Katara's brother was one of the searchers. When he saw the four of them, he handed off his bucket to the guardsman next to him and ran over. There were questions flowing from his mouth before he was done crossing the street. Jet had been readying himself to persuade the sister, had almost forgotten Sokka, who hadn't trusted him from the start, who they'd tried to imprison while they used Katara and Aang to flood an enemy town. If anyone must despise him more than Katara, it was Sokka. Jet couldn't think of a thing to say. He just stared hopelessly at the younger boy. Sokka shut his mouth, looked them over and said, "You look awful."

He actually appeared sympathetic, not to mention a little queasy when he looked down at the bloodsoaked shirt wrapped around Smellerbee's middle.

"Fence," she whispered up at him. Sokka's blue eyes widened. Jet was even more shocked. He'd believed she was unconscious, free of pain for at least a short while. Instead Smellerbee was fully aware, aware enough to concoct a lie. He heard his breath hitch. Longshot's lips tightened and he looked at Sokka like he was begging him to understand his wordless speech.

Sokka seemed to. Maybe their needs were just that obvious. He started walking, waving for them to follow. "We're staying over this way. Your friend needs to be still. Just put her in the bedding by the door. Katara might not be back for a while. She and Aang are using water bending to soak the area and keep the fire from spreading. They'll be tired when they get back, too."

"Too tired to help her?" Boli asked. "This girl could die! Do you understand that? Or doesn't it matter?"

"My sister is helping people now!" Sokka snapped back. "I hope she doesn't have to wear herself out, because if she did it means the fire's spreading, maybe even that innocent people were still in bed when it got to them! If she sees someone injured out there she'll heal them. There was no way we expected anyone to come here tonight for a healer."

 _I killed her,_ Jet thought. _I trusted the wrong people and led my friends into this. I didn't stop Dagger from throwing that torch._ They should have stayed to fight the fire. They should have tied Dagger up the moment they saw how irrational she was. She never should have been given the chance to grab someone's prybar and stab his oldest friend with it.

As soon as they entered the converted stable, Sokka pointed out a bed, then hurried to a pile of supplies stacked against the wall, coming back with a bag which turned out to have medical supplies. "We've got some bandages and antiseptic stuff. One of you get our fire lit up, keep her warm."

"The wound's too deep," Boli said. "It's probably dirty inside, too." He obeyed, though, picking up the a set of spark rocks by the fire pit. They'd laid Smellerbee down gently, but blood was already leaking down onto the blankets. Jet and Longshot knelt on either side. There wasn't much else they could do.

Sokka bit his lip. "We need a real doctor. Katara said there was someone by the Watch barracks, someone they trust. I bet she's there tonight. She's probably not alone, either. They weren't sure how bad the fire would get."

"Right. I know where the barracks is," Jet said, rising unsteadily.

"You're worn out. You stay with Smellerbee," the Water Tribesman ordered. "I'll go."

Jet's eyes were stinging worse than ever when he collapsed to the ground beside her. _He didn't even wait for us to ask. Didn't hesitate at all.  
_

Sokka returned with the doctor before Katara and the Avatar returned. Desperate as he felt, Jet was a little relieved. He suspected that Katara wouldn't be as forgiving as her brother.

He recognized the long, graying braid, but was surprised when he noticed that the doctor's eyes were the same deep blue as Sokka's. He'd believed the color was a Water Tribe trait. "Thanks for coming," he said, "her stomach's bad."

"Let's see." The doctor settled down by Smellerbee, gently easing her friends out of the way, and opened her bag, removing and unrolling a flat instrument case.

Sokka went to his group's belongings, getting a pot and filling it with water. He put it on the fire. "You guys hungry? Or tea. We've got tea in here someplace." Sokka dug around in one of the packs, their bigeared pet sticking its head in the opening. Sokka pushed it away with more patience than Jet would have had.

The critter edged curiously toward the bloodied bedroll where the doctor was cutting the soaked layers of fabric from Smellerbee's torso. Boli picked it up and carried it away. "Not a good time, little guy," he said, scratching its head until the huge eyes became mere slits. "Visit when the doc's done."

Longshot had gone to the entrance, leaning on the wide doorjamb and breathing deeply. He'd always been squeamish about injuries, which his friends considered hilarious in the Freedom Fighters' second best hunter. Especially Smellerbee, who'd tease him while she cleaned and stitched his and Jet's wounds. Jet had even seen her stitch her own hip once. Longshot had fled when she began. Standing up, he went to join Longshot by the door. His eyes were watering again. The two of them stood in silence as they waited.

Jet must have been dozing on his feet. How else could he have missed a white, wagon-sized animal coming out of the dawning sky to land in the nearby field? He snapped to awareness when Katara asked, "What are you doing here?" She was right in his face, glaring and suspicious. The Avatar was a few steps behind, his distrust evident but leavened by curiosity.

"Bee's hurt," Jet said.

"Who's Bee?" Aang asked. In the same breath Katara said, "That doesn't explain why you're here."

"Doctor Naj La's been working on her for over an hour," Sokka said, approaching and keeping his voice low. "They were going over a fence and Smellerbee slipped. It's really bad, Katara. Think you're up to helping?"

A scornful refusal was on her lips, Jet could see it. He fell to his knees and bowed his head. He heard a thump as Longshot knelt beside him. "If you can heal her, please do it."

"Get up! What do you think you're doing?"

"They're desperate, Katara," Aang said.

The scowl didn't leave her face, but her eyes seemed to soften a bit when the Avatar spoke. She huffed, muttering, "Fine. Because you two think I should," to her brother and their friend, and pushed past Jet and Longshot to go inside.

##############

The doctor wasn't offended by Katara's request to see the wound. Soberly, she outlined the work she'd already done. There were dark stitches pulling the deep, ragged layers of flesh back together. "I can't believe she's alive," Katara whispered.

"She's strong," Naj La said serenely, then led her away from Smellerbee's bed before saying very quietly, "I"m not sure surgery's enough. She may never fully recover."

Katara looked back at the unconscious Freedom Fighter. _I don't have to like someone to heal them._ With a sigh, she walked back to Smellerbee's side, knelt and pulled the cap from the small water bag she always carried.

"I couldn't heal it all at once," Katara told the doctor a while later.

She wobbled as she got to her feet and Naj La caught her firmly. She ushered Katara to her bedding to lie down. "It should be enough to get her out of danger. Now you need to rest."

"Thank you," Katara said. She started to lie down but sat upright with a sudden thought. "We need to get new bedding for Sokka. Even if we could move Smellerbee those blankets are ruined."

"I'll handle it. Good night." The firm hand pressing her down, then caressing her brow until the frown there eased away, made her think of her mother. _She'd be glad I healed Smellerbee. It was the right thing to do._ Letting her eyes close, Katara put her worries aside for now and slept.


	21. Getting To Know the Locals

Getting To Know The Locals

Hearing quiet voices nearby, Katara struggled upright in her blankets. An unfamiliar pair of girls was sitting beside a weak looking Smellerbee. One, with pigtails, got up and came to sit by Katara.

"Hi there! I'm Jin. She's Yanmei." The other girl offered a brief wave but stayed beside Smellerbee. The Freedom Fighter didn't look like she appreciated the visitor.

 _She needs another healing,_ Katara thought. She started to push away the blankets but Jin said, "The doctor doesn't want you up until she checks you out. Are you hungry? We've got breakfast by the fire."

Katara began to say, "I should probably," when her stomach interrupted with a loud grumble, forcing her to finish, "eat first," with a blush she could feel warming her cheeks.

Jin hurried to the fire to grab a tray of covered dishes, which she brought over. "I can make some tea. I didn't want to leave a pot sitting and stewing. It gets really nasty."

"I'd prefer some water if you don't mind."

Jin didn't mind. They talked while she ate and Katara got the impression that not much did bother the Earth Kingdom girl. Katara found herself liking Jin, but wasn't sure what to think of the aloof Yanmei. After Jin joined Katara, Yanmei talked to Smellerbee for another minute or so, then stood and sauntered toward the wide door. "I'll tell that doctor she's awake."

When she was gone, Smellerbee shut her eyes. Her face was too tense for sleepiness. She was probably fighting pain. Katara thought again that she should go to her, but realized that she still felt weak and fuzzy headed. _Did I do too much last night?_ Surreptitiously, she put a palm over her cup's rim. Producing a few weak ripples made her head swim.

"Enough of that, young lady," the greying healer said from the doorway. Katara stopped. She had to wonder if the woman guessed or actually knew what she'd been doing.

Naj La came to kneel beside her and peered into her eyes intently. "You'll recover but you need to rest. Tomorrow, if you're stronger, I'll allow a brief healing on our mutual patient, addressing the worst of her injury. Agreed?"

"Yes, ma'am. Can I at least get out of bed?"

"Light exercise is acceptable. Some fresh air. Don't let those boys goad you into chasing around all day. Understood?"

"All right."

The doctor frowned when she checked Smellerbee, who kept her eyes shut and mumbled monosyllabic replies to her questions. Watching, Katara started to climb out of her bed, murmuring "Excuse me," to Jin, but Naj La shook her head. Katara went to the former office as if she'd planned to all along. They used it mainly for privacy when they washed and changed, which she did.

"Better?" Jin asked when she stepped out. "It's amazing what a difference getting rid of that clammy feeling makes after you've been sick."

Katara smiled and agreed. Eating and cleaning up did seem to have helped. "I should check on my friends."

Jin rose to walk her to the door. When they looked out, Katara wanted to laugh in delight. Aang and a group of kids were climbing all over Appa's body, some using his broad tail as a slide, which the huge beast took with amazing aplomb. The whole bunch were giggly, but Aang and Sokka, who was watching from the sidelines, hushed them when they got too loud. Yanmei was standing close to her brother, flirtatiously close.

Katara thought of the Kyoshi Warrior Sokka was sort of dating. _Suki's a lot prettier,_ she thought, then wondered if she was being unfair to Jin's friend. Yanmei seemed unpleasant, though. She hadn't bothered speaking to Katara and her "visit" seemed to have left Smellerbee miserable. She reminded herself that the little Freedom Fighter was in a lot of pain. She shouldn't judge a stranger until they'd actually spoken.

"It's good to see Appa playing again," she told Jin. "He's been really nervous since he was stolen but he's always loved kids."

"So he's back to normal? That's good. And you're feeling better after last night. I wonder how Li's doing?"

"The waiter the Watch all like?"

"That's him. Everyone likes Li. He's," she looked wistful, "really sweet, and brave. He's kind of amazing."

Katara grinned at her expression. "You like him a little more than Gan does."

That startled a laugh out of the other girl. "I hate being obvious. I do like him, but he sort of isn't available."

"He's got a girlfriend? His loss," Katara reassured her.

"I can't even be mad. He never pretended to be interested in me. It isn't Li's fault." Jin's lips had tightened like she was holding something back. Maybe she disliked Li's girlfriend?

"If it isn't the sleepyhead," Sokka called, sauntering over with a smirk. Katara let him enjoy the smugness for now. She'd be dragging him out of bed again soon enough. She smirked back at the thought and Sokka's eyes narrowed at the promise of sisterly vengeance if he was too much of a jerk.

"So, you finally gonna help me babysit this bunch?" he asked.

"Sorry. Katara's got to relax. Doctor's orders," Jin said, putting an arm around Katara's shoulders. "I was thinking we should go out for a bit. I know you just ate, but I can give you a tour and when you get tired we can stop for tea. Have you been to Pao's yet?"

"Actually, I've been wanting to meet Li," Katara said, feeling shy. "When I apologized he seemed really annoyed with me, but everyone says how good a guy he is. I guess I'd like to make amends if he'll let me."

Looking between them, Sokka shook his head and sighed loudly. ""I've been watching this bunch all morning! You aren't inviting me along?"

"No. You're one of the things I need a break from," Katara replied. "Doctor's orders." She waved to Aang, calling that she'd be back soon, then she and Jin left Sokka to groan about leaving him all alone with a bunch of kids.

"He's actually good with children. Sort of," Katara told Jin as they turned a corner.

"I'm sure Li's not mad any more," Jin said hesitantly. "Jet tried to kill him and they're best friends."

"What?"

"Weird, right?" Jin laugh seemed a little forced this time.

Katara leaned close and whispered. "You feel funny about going to see him, don't you? Does he know you like him?"

"I asked him out once. He went, but his uncle was the one that said yes for him. Li was so nice, though, funny and shy. He doesn't like talking about himself. How many boys can you say _that_ about?"

Katara laughed with her. Sokka loved to puff up and preen over every accomplishment. Jet had bragged in a subtle, charming way, albeit to manipulate her. Even Aang delighted in showing off. It seemed to be a guy thing. "So what happened on your date? It doesn't sound so bad to me."

"I thought it was great. There's this fountain, and there are usually lamps lit around it at night. It's really beautiful."

"It sounds romantic."

"Yeah, only it was dark when we got there," Jin said with a wry smile. "It really ruined my plan. Then he told me to close my eyes. When he told me I could open them again the lamps were lit. It was like magic."

"Magic, huh?" Katara couldn't help recalling seeing him beside the bison the day she attacked him, Zuko's name coming to her immediately.  
A fire bender wouldn't have trouble lighting a bunch of lamps, either. _Don't be a fool,_ she scolded herself. Li befriended people in a way she couldn't imagine Zuko doing. He was still an enemy of the Earth Kingdom, too. He wasn't crazy enough to light up a fountain to please a girl.

As the twoof them walked, seeking easier subjects to discuss than one-sided romance, Katara decided that Gan had had a point the day he spoke to them. The relentless months of Fire Nation pursuit had made her worry obsessively.

"So, do you have a boyfriend back home?" Jin suddenly asked.

"No. I've never had a boyfriend. There aren't many people our age in the village."

"Wow. It must be really small."

You didn't discuss the war in Ba Sing Se, she remembered. Was it allowed to bring up the war between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe? Uncertain, she replied with care. "There were raids on our village for years. We lost a lot of people. Sokka and I lost our mother in the last one."

Lifting a hand to her mouth, Jin said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to make you sad."

"It happened a long time ago," Katara said, pushing away the grim memories. Injecting humor into her tone, she said, "The closest thing I've come to a boyfriend turned out to be a lying jerk."

"Ugh. There are so many of those out there!" Jin said, then brightened. "Maybe we can find you someone here! Jet's really cute and I don't think he's seeing anyone... What's so funny? Li wouldn't hang out with him if he wasn't a good guy."

Katara shook her head with a grin. "I'm sure you're right. I just don't have time for a boyfriend right now."

There was no reason to share her history with Jet. While she'd never like or trust him, she could see that he cared about his friends. They'd looked after younger children in the forest, too, she recalled, war orphans like themselves. It was his hatred of their enemies that had brought out a monstrous side in him and the others.

When they reached the barracks, Jin knocked. Katara recognized the young guard who answered from the night before. He shook his head with an amused grin when Jin explained why they'd come.

"All the pretty girls come to see him and he doesn't even try. Why not come to see me?"

"You try too hard," Pen Tow told him leaning on a cane in a doorway at the far end of the room, which was full of slightly shabby seats and low tables. Scattered on them were decks of cards, a pai sho set and several of the cheap and popular new printed books she'd heard about. The didn't show any sign of a woman's influence and Katara thought it could use some. At least it was clean and the smell from the room beyond, obviously a kitchen, was appetizing.

"So other girls come to visit?" Jin asked, failing to keep the jealousy out of her voice.

"He's exaggerating," Pen Tow said. "That young mother's on her way upstairs. The one with the odd name."

"Ava," Jin supplied. "We should come back," she told Katara, clutching her arm to draw her away.

"Go on up," the younger constable said. "Poor kid's going crazy in the infirmary. They can't keep him in there."

Katara gave him a curious smile. "Can't they?"

"We kept him close when they reported the fire," Pen Tow said. "After we got the spark patrols sorted he said he was tired. Brat slipped out a window!"

"He joined the search for fires?"

"We had that under control. And you and the Avatar were soaking buildings, too."

The older man laughed at the younger one's aggrieved tone. "Seems Li's scared of fires. Had to make sure the big one was out."

The girls looked at one another. Jin didn't look surprised. In fact, she had a fond little smile like that was exactly what she'd expect Li to do. "He'd hate for people to get hurt," she said.

 _She called him brave,_ Katara thought. _I wonder how she knew?_ "We'd better help his other visitor hold him down."

"Go on up," Pen Tow said with a wave toward the stairs. "Infirmary is the top floor."

Jin didn't hesitate to follow Katara this time. Ava must have heard them talking. She was at the head of the second floor staircase, hair in an elegant updo held with elaborate pins. She was wearing makeup, too, and Katara finally remembered where she'd seen her. _She works at that spa! She did Toph's hair that day._ She didn't say anything, though. Ava and Jin were eying each other like each expected the other to make trouble.

"We should all go up together," Ava said, voice much pleasanter than the chilly look in her eyes.

"Oh no. We'd hate to interrupt," Jin said with stiff sweetness.

"I insist."

"Then let's go," Katara said firmly, tucking a comradely arm through Jin's. _What's with these two?_

"I'm surprised you didn't bring your daughter."

"I left her at my job's day care. I'm visiting on my lunch break and most young men don't find other people's fussy children very restful."

Jin bit her lip to hold back some reply. They reached the top of the stairs. A single pair of doors served the long corridor. A white ceramic plaque beside them labelled it the infirmary.

As they approached, there was a cry from inside and a green robed figure staggered backward through the swinging doors. The robe was dirty, the long front-shaven hair unbraided, and his hat was missing, but the man who fell against Jin and Katara, lip bloody and split, was a Dai Li. The other girl gasped and pulled away, scared of him even in this state.

Ava was staring at him as he caught his balance, a hand in her long blouse's pocket. "What were you doing in there?"

Katara shivered. Those pretty eyes were chunks of obsidian, sharp-edged and cruel. She tried to divert the young agent until the refugee regained her calm. "We're just visiting a friend," she told him, cursing her nervous, overly cheerful voice.

"I think I woke him from a bad dream," the agent said, surprisingly calm.

Ava's hand immediately left her pocket and she slipped inside the infirmary. Katara caught only a glimpse of the waiter yet again but her heart went out to him. He was kneeling on the narrow bed, head lowered, shaking so badly she could see it from this distance. He'd crammed one hand against his mouth. Stifling screams?

Ava talked as she approached him, reassuring and gentle in tone. She crouched at his bedside but didn't reach out. Katara looked at Jin, who looked stricken but, like Katara herself, let the older woman, who seemed to know what to do, soothe him. Their eyes met, puzzled and afraid. Ava had yet to touch him. Katara knew that if someone she cared for was in such agony, she'd have taken them in her arms first thing so they could feel her there and know they weren't alone.

Ava used only words, softer now that she was close to him. That disheveled head rose a little to steal a glance at her.

He did resemble Zuko: dark hair, oval face, hints of scar tissue. But his face wasn't hard or arrogant. Hesitantly, he reached out to take Ava's hand. It was the only physical contact between them.

"We're being rude," the strange Dai Li agent said. "Shall we go to the infirmary office? I noticed a little hearth and a tea set."

The girls followed, but he waved them off when Jin reached for the tea pot. They sat quietly while he prepared it. Finally he set two cups before them. "I'd been told that refugees can be disturbed," he said.

"Li's not crazy!"

Accepting Jin's rebuke calmly, he said, "Possibly distressed is a better word. Or afraid. Yet I wouldn't have thought he was the fearful type."

Katara took a polite sip of the weak tea. She suspected he'd taken over its preparation to calm himself. In his contained way, he seemed as distraught as either of them.

"I was trapped inside the factory," he said. "That boy came in after me."

Jin lowered her tea cup and listened, her eyes shining, as he described going in to look for survivors, only to have the ceiling by the entrance collapse. Finding no other exits, he'd been forced to find shelter in a supply closet, waiting for rescue. When it came, it had been in the form of a fierce and assured stranger. Knowing that going back was less possible with every passing second, he'd decided that they should climb the scorching brick walls so they could escape via the collapsed roof.

 _This is the boy she knows,_ Katara thought, _the amazing, brave one, not that boy back there n the infirmary, too scared to touch._ She wondered what Li Ava knew.

Eventually Ava joined them. "He's taking a shower, then he intends to go downstairs to help with dinner preparations. He may feel more sociable by then if you'd still like to visit. I'm afraid that I need to return to work."

There was only the faintest hint to her voice that anything had been wrong. Maybe a sheen to her eyes that hinted at tears? Katara couldn't be sure. Ava had extraordinary self control.

"Can I walk you to the train" Jin asked. "I'm sorry, Katara. He won't be mad if you introduce yourself. It's just..."

"Do you think less of him?" Ava asked.

"No!"

"I won't answer intrusive questions."

The agent rose with a slight bow. "I should speak with your friend. I owe him an apology, after all."

"Wait!" Katara called. She gestured toward his split lip and the bruise forming beside his mouth. "I could heal that. If you don't mind. Probably. I'm still tired from last night but it's not much of an injury."

He shook his head. "I have to report this incident to my superiors. They'll want to see all of the evidence."

The three young women shared a worried look and he assured them, "My behavior caused the injury. I'll make it clear he isn't to blame."

 _I suppose that's all we can hope for,_ Katara thought. _At least he isn't holding a grudge._ She turned to Jin and Ava. "Is it all right if I join you? This doesn't feel like the right time to introduce myself."

Jin hesitated, but Ava said coolly, "I have nothing to hide," and the pigtailed girl nodded.


	22. Ava

Ava

Sorry about the delayed updates. I had several scenes that amused me. They stood alone pretty well but were bad for the story as a whole so...I couldn't use them. Also, evil Admiral Zhao has been trying to shanghai my attention, launching enticingly awful scenes for the story he wants written about HIM. I'm hoping that I'm back on track.

##########

Zuko scowled at Pen Tow as he entered the roomy barracks kitchen. (The City Watch all agreed that it was cramped but Zuko had spent three years at sea and considered it spacious.) "Are you ever going to get off that foot?"

"Pots don't stir themselves", the older man replied placidly.

"They can be stirred too much", Zuko countered, taking his place by the stove. Pen Tow looked annoyingly amused as he took a seat at the table.

An annoying distraction was still a distraction, Zuko decided. Anything was preferable to remembering how close he'd come to burning a man's face off in sheer uncontrolled terror. Waking to that calm, inexpressive visage peering down at him, seeming utterly in control of the situation, had left his guts frozen in fear, smelling moth ball stinking sheets and seeing dust motes that weren't there. Thankfully, since his body was free to move he could hold the fire back. Instead, his left fist shot up into the stranger's face while the right jammed itself in his mouth to stifle the rising heat.

He wasn't clear on the next few minutes. The other (the Dai Li agent, he suddenly realized, still in his smoky robe but with his hair falling in loose ripples over his shoulders as he bent over Zuko's bed) didn't fight back. Zuko knew because he'd been helpless for part of that time, caught in a room that really had been cramped, with sunlight barely entering through its small, dirty window.

His next clear memory was of Ava's soothing voice coaxing him back to the here and now, away from the memory of bound limbs and the smell of dust and wood oil. She'd never know that her vocal lifeline might have saved others' lives. The wrong words, an intrusive touch, could have driven Zuko to a panic-induced fire bending attack.

Clearheaded now, he could speculate about the drugs, antiseptics and the like up in the infirmary. Just how fast would they have burned? Zuko glanced down at his hand. The burn was minor but not invisible. Since he could no more wish it away than he could truthfully explain its presence, he had to deal with it. Steeling himself, Zuko pretended to fumble as he grasped the pot on the stove to shift it. Preventing its fall to the floor, he pressed his burn to the hot metal. His cry of pain wasn't faked.

###############

Katara had begun to wonder if she was intruding. She, Jin and Ava had walked in silence since they left the constables' barracks. Jin kept sneaking looks around them until she finally took a deep breath and said quietly, "I was wrong, wasn't I? Completely wrong. You and Li have something between you, but it's nothing like I thought, is it?"

"No", Ava said without looking at her. "Nothing like."

 _The girlfriend. The one that makes him "sort of" unavailable,_ Katara thought. _No wonder Jin was jealous. Ava's grown, she's sophisticated and elegant. Worldly. Only now Jin's saying she was wrong._

Voice lowering even further, Jin said, "It's something terrible, isn't it?"

Ava paused, then asked thoughtfully, "You never told anyone what you believed, did you?"

She shook her head. "No. I didn't know what to do. I'm glad now. I would've made such a mess for you and you didn't deserve it. You don't."

"Thank you for realizing that. The train won't be here for a bit. Would you care to wait with me?"

Jin nodded. Katara said, "I should go", but Ava shook her head. "It's all right."

The three of them sat on a bench against the wall. Ava said, "I was already pregnant when I met him, but in a sense you weren't completely wrong. Pearl might never have been born without Li." Taking a deep breath, she went on, "My family is long gone. When my husband died all that I wanted was a safe place for my child and myself. I sold everything I owned that was too big to carry. It seemed like a fortune until I began to spend it", she added wryly. "Buying supplies, paying for my travel. The money went so quickly."

"It does", Katara agreed, thinking how often Sokka fretted over their money and supplies.

"Refugees often have trouble getting work", Ava went on. "Nobody knows them, they won't be around for long, locals deserve the jobs more." She shrugged. "My father said the same things and I never said a word. My pregnancy just added to their list of reasons, since they could claim that the work might harm my baby. I felt fine except for the constant worry about keeping us both fed once it was born."

"It must've been scary. You came all this way alone?" Jin asked, wide-eyed. "I've never been out of Ba Sing Se."

"I managed. It wasn't always easy, but I'm not as fragile as I always believed. You'll come to the same realization one day," she assured the teen with a slight smile, "but at the time I was often afraid. Then, in a little town by the edge of the desert, I was offered a job. It was only a few days' work, but the poor fellow really seemed in need of help. I was _glad_ because I was so tired of being the one in need. And the money was more than welcome. I was a bit desperate."

 _She's got amazing self control,_ Katara thought, _but there's something in her eyes._ She asked gently, "He didn't really need help, did he?"

"Perceptive girl", Ava replied, her voice trembling a bit. "He didn't. He... preyed on refugees. He said he'd release me but I didn't believe him. I was certain he'd kill me when he was done with me, that my baby would never even take its first breath."

"What did he want with... " Jin began to ask, but Katara gave her hand a hard squeeze and when she looked at the Water Tribe girl she caught the silent message and paled. She turned to the older woman and said, "You got away and your baby's safe. That makes it better, right?" She sounded as if she could only hope that was true.

"Most of the time, it does", Ava said. "That's the train in the distance, isn't it?" she asked, pointing.

"Yeah."

"Briefly then", Ava said with a hint of relief. "I was trapped, bound. My captor was resting but I knew he'd be back. When the door opened that day, I saw a pale, yellow eyed face that screamed Fire Nation and thought things had actually gotten worse, that I'd be gutted there on that cot." Her breath caught in a sob, but Ava sat a little more upright and blinked the tears back. "He released me instead. My clothing was discarded in a corner and he brought it to me. He dressed me like a child because I was shaking too hard to... I knew that _he_ would come back, and my savior would die, and I would die. Li's voice was rough but so kind when he promised that I'd be safe now. He walked me down the stairs. Quietly. So quietly I wondered if he was really there at all. My guardian spirit." A tender smile crossed her lips at the strange words. "The housekeeper saw us and yelled. That evil hag, she knew what he did and thought no refugee deserved any better." Ava's voice began to rise as she spoke. "He was coming down the hall toward us and Li said, "Go." He ordered me and I went. The old witch tried to stop me and I shoved her into the wall and I ran out the door. I fell, I remember that, but I got back up and ran and never looked back."

Jin held her tightly, whispering comfort, while Katara reached over to grasp her hand. Ava gave them both a weak smile. "I was certain I'd gotten that brave boy killed. Then one day I saw him walking with another boy and spoke to him. That's our entire relationship. I don't know if rescuing me is connected to his reaction earlier. Just the suspicion is nearly unbearable. Maybe one day, when I'm feeling brave, I'll ask him. I want to help him in some small way."

The train was pulling in and she rose, giving the girls an embarrassed look. "I don't lose control very often. Thank you both for listening." She hesitated and said, "Katara, please don't take Li's discomfort with benders personally. He's suffered at their hands."

"You think I should stop trying to meet him?"

"Let him seek you out if he wants to. It's probably easier on you both."

Katara nodded. "I'll keep it in mind."

Apparently serene again, the refugee turned away and left them. Katara and Jin rose and left the station as she boarded the train. They held hands, both needing the reassurance as they walked.


	23. Things To Digest

Things To Digest

The young Dai Li had come charging into the kitchen at "Li's" cry of pain, prompting Zuko to wonder why he'd been lurking nearby. _He wouldn't wait for me to shower if he planned to arrest me,_ the fugitive assured himself _._

The earth bender nudged Pen Tow out of his way to examine the burn. "I'm fine", Zuko said, biting back something sharper at the guy's rudeness. He was apparently trying to help. He was also Dai Li. "This barely qualifies as an injury", he assured them both.

"I'm sure you believe that, too", Pen Tow said with a glance at his scar. " but I bet they'll still blame me if you go fainting again."

Zuko reddened. It wasn't like he made a habit of passing out. He'd been sick before, that's all.

The Dai Li filled a bowl with water and grabbed Zuko's injured hand, lowering it into the bowl with absurd care. "Get some salve from the infirmary", he told Pen Tow.

"He's not going up three flights of stairs for salve", Zuko said, offering Pen Tow a silent scowl when he started to speak, probably to remind him that there was an emergency elevator. "Besides, the medicine cabinet's right there." Raising his wet hand from the bowl, he waved it toward the clearly marked emergency cabinet, making sure cool droplets spattered the agent. That earned him a frown from the Dai Li and Pen Tow picked up his cane and limped nervously out of the room. _Coward!_ Zuko imagined shouting after him. He didn't, though.

"Playing the servant doesn't suit you", the agent said.

"I don't play", Zuko replied with a scowl. " I also don't have time to sit here doing nothing. Dinner won't cook itself."

"It looks fine", the earth bender said after an indifferent glance at the stove.

"It's only a start. Most guards don't eat during the day, did you know? They need proper meals when they're here. Now, if you don't mind I've got turkey ducks to put in the oven."

The annoying bender just looked amused. "I believe grown men can feed themselves. In fact, isn't this considered light duty? One of the Watch should be doing that."

"I'm not a bad cook and they seem to appreciate the help", Zuko said, using the water pump to rinse his hands in the sink. "Pen Tow has the light duty and you might have noticed that he's injured. If he keeps running around on that foot it'll never heal."

He walked to the big pan where two large plucked birds were waiting. Pulling one out, he decided on impulse to section it and picked a knife from the wooden knife block. The pieces would cook faster than a whole bird and they'd be easier to season well. Not Fire Nation seasoned, but Zuko knew a little about delicate Earth Kingdom palates these days. The guardsmen seemed to appreciate his cooking, at least.

"This isn't the sort of life you should have. I suspect that you're used to finer things."

"I'm adaptable."

A rustle of fabric, then a sense of body heat much too close behind him. "While that is a valuable quality, I'd like to offer you more than you have now. With guidance from someone who knows this city, its ways, the influential people; a sponsor..."

"You think I'd want a _sponsor_?" Zuko growled. The ugly little word seemed to echo and he noticed a tremor in the hand holding the knife. With greatest care, he laid the potential weapon down, then half-turned to glare over his shoulder, showing the damaged side. "There's nothing I want or need from you or anyone. Am I clear?"

"You're very proud", the man said, looking... pleased? Amused? Whatever it was, Zuko didn't like his expression. His stomach started to hurt. He realized his breathing was off, fast and shallow. He tried to control it and recover his inner balance.

"You should accept my help."

"Qin Pu Lo, you're frightening the child. Step away from him now," said a stern voice, smooth with assurance.

Normally Zuko would object to being called a child. Right at this moment, as the Dai Li turned quickly and shifted away from him, he was childishly grateful.

Long Feng gave his subordinate a single assessing glance. "Your appearance is unacceptable. You should have received a fresh uniform earlier. Make yourself fit to wear it."

"Sir", Qin Pu Lo said with a bow and started to leave. He hesitated. "I had no inappropriate intentions."

"Then you should behave appropriately."

The young man looked at Zuko. His gray eyes widened as he seemed to notice "Li's" distress for the first time. "Please accept my apology."

He just nodded. His breathing was still wrong and he was sure his voice wouldn't be steady if he spoke. When Qin Pu Lo left he didn't exactly relax, not in the same room as Ba Sing Se's uncrowned ruler, but his tension wasn't tinged with mindless fear. After a moment he could meet Long Feng's eyes.

"Striking", the Dai Li's leader murmured. "Your Fire Nation breeding is obvious."

Zuko straightened. If he was going to be arrested, he wouldn't waste time looking for mercy. He'd fight his way back to Uncle and they'd run, even with no place to run to. But Long Feng remained relaxed.

As if he were merely curious, he asked, "Was your mother a whore or a collaborator?"

Once again today, Zuko's throat ached as he restrained his inner fire, from fury this time rather than anger. He drew the heat from his palms and fingertips and continued to control his breathing until he could reply stiffly, but without a hint of smoke or excess heat, "Whatever my mother did in her life was for her family. I will never be ashamed of her."

The truth of the words stilled him. It wasn't serenity or anything like it. It was the first time he'd voiced the truth to himself. Whatever she'd done the night of his grandfather's death, she'd done it for him. _A mother's duty,_ he'd told Ava that day in the alley. He'd always known.

Long Feng's pale green eyes were examining him with a funny look he finally recognized as approval. "It's a shame about the scar."

"What?" His heart did a panicky jump and he fought to stay in control.

Long Feng's narrow eyes narrowed further. "He frightened you that badly?"

 _Qin Pu Lo. What did he really do?_ Zuko asked himself. _He was just... intrusive._ "I get anxiety attacks", he said, "it wasn't his fault."

"You're an unusual boy", the earth bender said. "You'd prefer not to get him in trouble?"

"I don't like trouble at all", Zuko replied.

"You actively prevent it on occasion", Long Feng said.

"It's not like that! I just..." He couldn't think of a way to continue and trailed off. _I'm not supposed to be noticeable!_

"I dislike trouble myself", Long Feng said calmly. "Citizens like yourself are a great asset to our city."

Feeling his jaw drop stupidly, Zuko hid it with a formal bow. "Thank you for believing that. It's, it's good to hear." He cleared his throat. "I beg your pardon. I should get back to dinner, but did you want me to tell Guozhi you're here?"

"No need. I'm expected." With a slight but courteous nod, the Dai Li leader left.

His hands weren't shaking any more, Zuko noticed. And he felt funny. _Happy? Am I really that desperate for approval?_ he scolded himself. _That guy's the enemy!_ The Fire Nation's enemy, not Li's, he found himself thinking. When Pen Tow stuck his head back in the kitchen, Zuko just ordered him to sit, giving him a couple of cloves of garlic to peel and crush for the turkey ducks. He wasn't irritated with him any more.

#################

"She was pregnant", Jin whispered as the two girls walked. Katara didn't think Jin was talking to her, not really. The sheltered teen was still trying to process the horror.

The Water Tribe hadn't suffered a serious attack since her mother's murder, but Katara remembered. She understood that dreadful people were out there. Ava's story still sickened her. To be lured and assaulted by one of your own people? To have his housekeeper know and condone it? _Most people are good,_ she reminded herself. _Aang and Sokka and me, Toph now, too, we've been traveling for a while. Sure, those sand benders who stole Appa didn't care that they were leaving us to die, and they weren't the only ones. How many people have helped us, though? Welcomed us into their homes or given us food and money to keep going?_ "There are more good people than bad ones", she said, for herself and Jin.

Jin still looked so unsteady as she gave Katara a weak smile that the water bender said, "I'm a little tired, aren't you?"

"Yeah", Jin agreed, with a game attempt at her former enthusiasm, "You wanted to visit Pao's, right?"

"How about there, instead?" Katara asked, pointing at a busy little bakery a few buildings down the street. "The smell is making me crave something sweet. How about you?" Jin agreed with a wan smile.

Pastries were a luxury item in this part of town, but weren't incredibly pricey. They were a modest indulgence and the girls enjoyed the distraction of debating over which looked the tastiest. Both decided to buy extra to take home.

"Your brother likes sweets? He acts like one of those tough guys who thinks sweets and green stuff are girly."

"Sokka likes to _eat_ ", Katara said. "He does like meat but I've never seen him reject anything you could eat. Or try to." She gave Jin a broadly edited account of their time in the desert, dwelling on the aftereffects of Sokka's attempt to drink cactus juice rather than the reason he'd tried it in the first place. She completely left out their lack of water and the fact that they could have died.

That left Jin free to laugh at Katara's description of Sokka's loopy reaction to the hallucinogenic cactus. They were both beginning to relax, seated at a little table outside the bakery and enjoying their treats. It felt like a good time to ask about Li. Talking about him would further brighten Jin's mood and she really was curious. Jin had considered him special, maybe even heroic, before he ran into the burning factory. What made her so sure?

Jin described a day that began with an ordinary morning. She and several other young people shared a tutor hired by their parents. It was a common practice. Although there were several small private schools in the Outer Ring, the fees were high and they all had a waiting list to get in.

Then she'd gone shopping. The little bazaar had a number of useful items and her mother had asked her to buy a pack of sewing needles. She'd been examining some skeins of yarn, wondering if she could afford two of the brightly dyed colors or if she should buy one and a more neutral color. Then a man started shouting.

"He came to Ba Sing Se when his village was overrun", Jin said very quietly. "He asked for an audience with King Kuei, but no one gets to see him. Well, important people do, but from what I hear even they don't get to talk with him, only Long Feng does. So the guy was mad, and just started yelling, and people were agreeing because it's so frustrating. My brother joined the army after the siege ended." Her voice dropped further to add, "They almost did it. They broke through, did you know? But the defenders managed to hold the wall, killed the soldiers, and the commander backed down. They negotiated, I think, because we gave them the bodies and they left. Really left, the siege was over. Everyone was sure they'd be back, so my brother left to fight as soon as he was of age. He said he'd never let them get close to us ever again." Her eyes glistened and she sniffled, then smiled weakly. "He only wanted to fight because he was kind and gentle and hated to see people suffer. Does that make sense? And they never let his letters through, not one. Because they'd mention the war and there is no war in Ba Sing Se." She took a sip of tea. The tea wasn't as special as everyone claimed Pao's was, but it was good enough to wash down the bitterness Katara heard trying to come through in Jin's voice.

 _It's affected everyone,_ Katara thought. _I guess after a hundred years I'd have a hard time finding someone who hasn't been touched by the war. And Jin's been in the "safe" place, the haven everyone else dreams of. We've got to end this!_

Jin blushed as she went on. "Anyway, we were all getting angry. I grabbed a little bottle and threw it. I remember yelling something but not what I said. That man, he wasn't very tall but he looked really strong. He took a knife from this old tool sharpener who was working and looked ready to fight his way to the Central Ring. Some guys were throwing stuff on the ground and he had that knife and Li just said, "Stop. Give it back, you're scaring that old man." He didn't seem scared, not even a little. Some creep was using the fuss to steal and Li took him and pinned him against a wall and... he shamed us, I guess, but really he reminded us that we're better than that. We don't destroy things or rob our neighbors or scare innocent people. We picked up the stuff. I paid for the jar I broke. I couldn't afford yarn at all after that but I felt happy. I wanted to see him again, this boy with a scar and messy hair and... dignity?" She paused, then seemed to decide that that was the right word, after all. "So I'd ask people if they'd seen him, someone like him. I got teased a lot but then someone said, "It sounds like Mushi's nephew." So I went to Pao's. Li was different, sort of quiet and proper except when he scolded his uncle. It was funny to watch and I liked watching him. He's got that scar but it doesn't make him ugly. He's got the kind of face that could've been _too_ pretty, you know?"

"But he's just pretty enough?" Katara teased. They both laughed.

By the time Jin parted both girls felt better, able to stop dwelling on Ava's story of ugliness. _She doesn't seem to. She has friends and her daughter and she still seems to see more good in the world than bad. Pitying her every time I think of her would be an insult._

As she approached the stable, she was looking forward to presenting the sweets to her friends. Appa was napping in the sun, his playmates from earlier gone. Aang and Sokka might have gone inside, but she realized she hadn't seen Toph yet today. _I hope she hasn't found any trouble to get_ _into,_ Katara thought, remembering the younger girl's disgust at the city's endless rules. Then she shrugged the worry off. She was under orders to relax, so maybe she should wait for trouble to find her instead of fretting about it in advance.

She saw Longshot crouching beside Smellerbee just outside the entrance. The small girl didn't look like she should be sitting up, not with that pallor, and Katara thought that maybe she should attempt a minor healing today, after all. Smellerbee looked _awful_. Jet came out with a mug that he gave her, probably something Naj La had prescribed, so Katara let it go for the moment.

Studying the trio, Katara decided that they all looked awful. When Sokka came out with that girl from earlier on his arm, they tried to hide that anything was wrong, but she seemed to smirk back at them behind Sokka's back as the two of them walked toward the street. She didn't trust the Freedom Fighters, but something about that girl made Katara think, _I knew I didn't like Yanmei._


	24. The Consequences of Bad Company

The Consequences of Bad Company

Jet and the other Movement members had been summoned to the meeting room over the gaming parlor. Smellerbee was in no shape to come but Longshot sat beside him. Good thing, too. Jet was livid, struck still and silent by his own impotent fury. Alone, he might have attacked Kono and his sister, or their messenger when she showed up to _order_ the Freedom Fighters to attend this blatant blackmail attempt. With Longshot's steadying presence, he held on to his self control. Barely.

 _They've got us_ , Jet thought, tight-lipped. _While we were busy saving Smellerbee's life these ... hyena rats were covering for themselves. They've set us up to take the fall._ Brick sat across the table, sweaty and terrified like he was still facing those porcupine hounds. Boli, seated on Longshot's right, looked as furious as Jet felt. The archer was a rocky outcrop in the sea of rage and distress flooding the small room. His calm seemed to irritate Kono no end.

Kem Tong? The smug witch stood at the head of the table, outlining more plans for what they were now calling "decisive actions", a fancy phrase for more violence and terror.

 _I've never been glad to have Smellerbee some place else before. These arrogant creeps would make her go wild._ Normally he'd love to watch her verbally skin them alive, or knock them on their butts if they really deserved it. Now they had too much at stake.

Their whole lives. The future they'd intended to build. All burned to ashes in last night's fire.

 _I knew the fix was in when they sent Dagger_ , he thought bitterly. _She was both a messenger and a message. These two think they can use her so they're keeping her around. She's protected. If we touch her we destroy ourselves._

With her chin length hair combed and parted, she cleaned up pretty well. Not gorgeous, but soberly attractive. Add in her bold flirtation and poor Sokka had been looking way too pleased with her company before the boys left. Jet hadn't found a way to warn him she was trouble.

 _She won't do anything,_ he told himself. _Smellerbee was awake enough to know she was there. We got her her weapons, too._ There'd been a bunch of people with Dagger when she arrived. Normal, friendly kids looking to make nice with Aang and the rest. He'd been mildly surprised to see Jin among them, bemused when she introduced the crazy girl as Yanmei. He'd been appalled that they appeared to be old friends.

The only one who hadn't been awake when they left was Katara, who'd nearly passed out before leaving Smellerbee's side last night. _I hope she's all right,_ Jet thought guiltily.

He and the others listened to the siblings' orders, (and it was definitely orders now, no playing at consensus). Jet shared a glance with Longshot. His friend was worried, not that an outsider would be able to tell. Longshot's lean hand still rested on Boli's leg, the occasional squeeze a message of restraint: _Not now, not now,_ but his dark eyes asked Jet, _What do we do?_

Jet could only reply with a tilt of his chin. _We'll handle it. We always do_ , the message was, but he wasn't sure yet how to make it true.

Both boys skipped work. Maybe they'd be fired when they went back tomorrow but that didn't seem to matter. If the siblings turned in their fake evidence, they'd be ruined, anyway. If the Freedom Fighters wanted off the Movement's leash, they might have to flee Ba Sing Se entirely.

When they returned to their friend, it was obvious Dagger had given her a version of Kem Tong's little speech. The spiritless way she met their eyes almost made Jet cry again. They couldn't talk inside. Smellerbee's bed was just inside the doorway, making it too easy for someone outside to listen. Katara was gone and so was Jin (He was still really disturbed that crazy Dagger was anyone's best girlfriend.), while Sokka and "Yanmei" were by the fence watching Aang and the younger kids play with his bison.

Longshot brought a blanket outside and Jet carried Smellerbee out to lie on it. They collected the bedding and tucked it around her, making sure that her knives were easy to get to. They had to have a meeting of their own.

Smellerbee leaned up on her elbows, the small movement making sweat pop out on her pale face. "Li should be here," she said.

Jet stared. Her words weren't shocking, but he realized he hadn't given thought to Zuko or his reaction to what they'd done, not once. Now it hit him hard. They might have done what the Fire Nation hadn't managed over decades of war: destroyed Ba Sing Se. _Lucky they know about fire in the Outer Ring. Take it seriously. Like I should've. Like he would've._

Memory kept forcing him to relive the smell of searing flesh and burning wood. He kept losing himself in the screams, cries for mercy or help or simply cries of agony. Jet took slow, careful breaths of the fresh air and tuned into the sounds around them: living voices, talk and laughter and excited shouts. The other things were the stuff of nightmares now, ones that came on occasion to ruin Jet's sleep.

He'd told Zuko a little on one of their roaming nights. Not most. Zuko had looked sick with horror at Jet's simple verbal sketch of the suffering his people had inflicted. He'd be worse than sickened by their folly last night. He'd be enraged at what Jet had led the others into. _Maybe it's being royalty. He puts it on the leader. It's up to them, to me, to set the standard. He'll probably forgive Smellerbee and Longshot some day. Me?_ Jet didn't think he'd be forgiven, not by Zuko or himself, not in this lifetime. Wanting to put off that hatred, even if it was deserved, made Jet evasive. "This is our mess. We ought to keep him out of it."

"Li's one of us," she replied firmly. Her eyes held a hint of their usual toughness.

"You know how bad things are. You want to drag him in? He didn't do anything. Why should he pay the price? Or the old man?"

Smellerbee's jaw clenched. She liked Li's uncle. Who didn't? Still, she insisted, looking Jet hard in the eye like she was trying to send a mute message, "He's a Freedom Fighter, Jet."

Longshot turned away from them, content to let his more verbose friends handle things for now. He seemed to be watching the Avatar's play group as it broke up, some of the kids going with relatives while others, reminded of the time, waved goodby as they hurried off home. Aang's sunny smile turned into a huge yawn once he and the bison were alone. The huge hairball flopped to the ground and the little monk curled up against his legs. Jet was reminded that they'd both been up protecting the city all night. The bright sunlight didn't keep either from falling asleep.

Longshot's face held a hint of amusement when he turned back to them. There was a question, too, though. Jet shook his head. "Even if we tried to convince him we lost control of the situation last night, he and his friends'll blame us. They'd turn us in, buddy. If the siblings' evidence is any good, we'll be locked up and Dagger, Kono and Kem Tong can go ahead and get as crazy as they please. I don't think he's a bad kid but he thinks in black and white. He didn't understand about the dam. None of them could."

Sokka and Dagger were walking toward them and he fell silent on the subject, offering a casual greeting as they went inside. Jet wished he could give the guy the warning he deserved instead. He leaned against the wall as if enjoying the daylight. Longshot rose and took a few steps, stretching his lean frame to hide his glances inside. Walking back, he sat on the edge of Smellerbee's nest beside her feet. He gave one a squeeze. The pair weren't close enough to hear them.

Jet took a breath but Smellerbee got started first. "I've got no problem leaving _them_ out. Li's different. If we hadn't rushed in like dummies maybe last night wouldn'ta happened. Li's careful and even if you didn't want to listen to him he'd yell and argue until you did. We need him, Jet."

"It's too late for a scolding," Jet said, letting a hint of his resignation show. "Best we can do is keep our distance."

Longshot raised an eyebrow. "Of course I hate it!" Jet snapped. He took a deep breath, adding in a quieter but shaky tone, "At least the timing works. I was staying away for a reason. If I keep staying away he'll assume I lied about staying friends even if he rejected me. That's the smartest option, right?"

Jet could hear a plea for reassurance in his voice. His eyes were going blurry again, too. Pathetic. _I need to be strong for them, not start whining because I haven't slept enough to control my self-pity._ "Sorry, guys. We three made this mess. We'll find a way out, too, but Li's not in it. He can't be one of us."

Longshot and Smellerbee shared a look then, long enough for a whole silent conversation. With a sigh, she said, "You're wrong, Jet. We can try cutting him out but he'll get himself in it. He's taken an interest in the factory zone. He protects the workers. I know. I was there the first time."

Jet stared at her, his exhausted brain putting the unspoken part together sluggishly. The Shadow Man. He'd beaten abusive guards. Left bloodfree, humorous warnings for business owners to change their ways. Befriended the porcupine hounds so he could come and go as he pleased. Moving like a ghost, he was rumored to have searched buildings while leaving no trace. _A ghost. Maybe a spirit? A blue one?_ Jet gave his head a shake to clear it. _I'm so tired I'm thinking crazy. The Blue Spirit's wanted by the Fire Nation! Whatever his father thinks, Zuko is loyal to his people, even now._ But didn't the Blue Spirit get his reputation revealing the actions of corrupt Fire Nation citizens? Wasn't Zuko a prince, even if he'd been stripped of any authority over his nominal subordinates if he believed they'd acted improperly? _Officially. Only he's still a prince, with all that stuff about honor and duty in his head. And I've seen him use the dao swords._ He'd also seen Zuko cross the city like a shadow in the darkness.

"If he's the Shadow Man he's already wanted," Jet said, still examining the other, even more dangerous idea.

"Because he does what he has to," Smellerbee pointed out. "If they do get more violent like they want, he'll track them down."

 _Us,_ Jet thought, but his conscience snarled in response, _No! Not after last night. We are not with them!_ So, if they were going to defy the Movement, anyway...

A small grin flashed across Longshot's face and Jet managed a weary nod. "You win. He'll be pissed. He might hate us, you need to know that." Both nodded and he could see behind the stoic mask Smellerbee was using not to cry. It was the right decision, though.

"I'll see him soon. Tomorrow. I'm not putting it off," he said when Smellerbee's lips parted, "I haven't slept and I need a clear head."

"All right." Hesitating, she added, "I'm so sorry, Jet. I know he means a lot to you. I hope this doesn't..."

He cut her off. "I'm not hoping for anything. He won't turn us in, I'm sure of that much. That and that he'll want to stop anything those two plan."

Smellerbee struggled to sit up fully, not quite managing to hide her pain. "You matter a lot to him, too, Jet. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," he said as Longshot shifted position to squat by her shoulder. Jet managed a weak smile at Bee's concern and at Longshot's caretaking. If she needed to lie down again he'd see to it. "The doctor left you something for the pain, didn't he?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I don't need it. It tastes gross."

 _Plus, Dagger's inside,_ he added mentally. "Me and Longshot aren't going anywhere today. You know he won't give you a moment's peace if you don't take your medicine. She huffed but nodded, accepting his assurance that she wouldn't be alone with an enemy.

When Jet went to the tray with Smellerbee's medicines, Sokka asked,"Is she all right?"

"Just sore." Jet didn't like the way Dagger was snuggled close to Sokka, a wicked grin crossing her face while his back was turned. "She's the toughest person I know."

"She's not much," the girl commented, prompting Sokka to frown. "That's just mean!" he added when she continued, "Not much to look at, either.

Jet didn't deign to reply or comment when she told Sokka with a sloww smile, "You like tomboys? If you lend me something, I'll dress up for you." As he left with the mug of medicine (mixed with juice to cut the nasty flavor) Sokka was sputtering, almost incoherent with indignant embarrassment.

He glimpsed Katara approaching across the field when he stepped outside. If she had anything to say he could be sure she'd come over to say it, so he knelt to give his friend her painkiller. She grimaced when she drank it, juice or no juice. Maybe it was simple disgust. Bee had toughed it out all her life. He and Longshot watched her drink it down, then Longshot took the mug with an approving nod.

Dagger and Sokka came out and headed down the wide gravel drive to the street. She was still keeping close, so close her hip kept brushing Sokka's as they walked. His face was still flushed and Jet suspected he was feeling a little overwhelmed. He wished he could say something. Sokka deserved to be warned that she wasn't just bold, she was dangerous. He kept quiet even when she turned her head to wink at them over Sokka's shoulder. Jet felt his jaw clench. _Maybe Katara will notice something._

Unfortunately they didn't even talk. Sokka offered his sister a breezy wave and she just called a greeting in reply. Still, he'd hope that Katara would get a chance to really meet "Yanmei" soon. _If Dagger pulls something, she'll wind up in big chunk of ice. Fast._

He and Katara traded reserved greetings, nicer than he probably deserved. After the dam incident he'd believed otherwise. She and the others were so righteous, but they hadn't lost their homes and families, then even the graves once that dam was built, flooding the remains of the former Earth Kingdom town and the fortress that once protected it. After last night, though? He deserved a lot worse.


	25. In and Out

In and Out

"Breathe in", Naj La said, pressing a chilly stethoscope against Zuko's naked back. "Now out."

"I'm fine", Zuko grumbled, though he obeyed after his uncle, standing by the infirmary door, gave him a big, encouraging smile. "Nothing, right? The fever's gone!"

"Sit up straight", the doctor said implacably. "In. Out."

Zuko finished the silly exercise with an annoyed snort. "I can't stay here forever, you know."

"I don't see the Watch throwing you out", she replied. "Your lungs sound clear."

"There was never anything wrong with them! I had a fever. It's gone. Can I go home now?"

"Patience, nephew. We must be assured of your recovery. You do not wish to waste the good doctor's efforts on your behalf, do you?"

"No", Zuko replied. Even he could tell he sounded ungrateful, though, so he muttered "Sorry", to Naj La.

Who didn't act like she'd even noticed their exchange. "Steady heartbeat. Good." She moved to his front to tip his head up toward the light hung from the ceiling. He'd already noticed the stones almost completely lacked the sickly green color of most such lights and wistfully wondered at their cost. "Open wide."

"There's nothing wrong with my mouth!"

"Shut up and open wide." She was annoyingly unperturbed. He glared up at her while she peered into his mouth. She straightened. "Look up", she said. "Left. Right. Down. Now cross your eyes."

"You're being ridiculous!"

"Merely silly", she replied, deadpan. "You seem to be recovering despite your complete inability to relax."

"I've relaxed plenty!"

"Between cleaning a three story building and cross city sprints." She frowned him into silence and said, "I'm letting you return to work, mostly because you've found more ways to exhaust yourself here than you did at home."

"You see my problem", Iroh said, spreading his arms. "I find it difficult to scold my nephew for doing too much because he only seeks to do what is right. How can I discourage him?"

The doctor gave him a sharp look. "Try."

Zuko almost laughed at his uncle's expression. How often was somebody immune to Iroh's charm?

#############

The shop was relatively clean when he returned to work the next day. Zuko had decided early on that at least half the reason the shop had been scraping by when Pao hired them had been the man's shoddy housekeeping. Could anyone brew good tea in a pot still stained with the remains of old brewings? Pao and Uncle had kept the front up pretty well, although Zuko could see dust in the corners and up high. In line with Iroh's usual priorities, the brewing area was immaculate. Zuko settled for spot-cleaning the neglected areas before opening. He was under orders and it wasn't that bad, he told himself.

Mornings were normally hectic, but today was surreal. While the shop was frequently busy since word got out about "Mushi's" skill with tea, it seemed like everyone they'd ever seen in Pao's had decided to come in. And for some crazed reason the regulars were all determined to serve themselves! _No wonder Pao wanted a wait staff,_ Zuko found himself thinking. _This is chaos!_ Hard as he tried to make people sit down, relax, and wait to be served, they kept telling _him_ to take it easy!

Today was more tiring than the first day he'd ever worked, when he'd had no idea what he was doing and less idea how to deal with strangers. Then Gan and Hui came in. The older guard took one look around the room and raised his voice to say, "We are about to clear this establishment! If you don't want to see that happen, sit down by the count of five. One, two..." The customers had all returned to their seats before he finished. "Good. How're you doing, Li?"

"Fine", Zuko said, struggling between embarrassment and relief. Gan hadn't even lowered his voice so people wouldn't hear. "The tables are full, but we put a few stools by the counter. Sorry."

"Why? It's closer to the tea", Hui said, giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze as he passed.

Gan paused to look him over. "You don't look like you're taking it easy."

"Do you when you're working? I'll take a break when it's quieter. The doctor gave me these medicines I have to take with meals, so I'll have to take my lunch break. Did you want your usual?" At Gan's nod, he said, "Sencha it is. Hui, how about you? Uncle says we have a new blend, very earthy, grown in the southeast hills."

"Sounds good."

By the time Jet came by, he felt a lot calmer. They went out to the alley like no time had passed at all. Zuko had packed a lunch for Jet, unsure but hoping he'd come. His friend accepted it with a grin, but the expression looked forced. Zuko felt his heart sink. They'd never felt awkward when they talked, not even the first time he'd thrown caution aside and confessed who he was. _Has he decided we can't be friends? Maybe he thinks I'd be uncomfortable. Embarrassed or jumpy._

"You're probably tired already", Jet said, eating more slowly than usual, like he was savoring a last meal. Their last meal.

"Not too tired", Zuko replied, straightening to look more energetic. "Why? Did you want to do something later?"

"I have to", Jet said soberly. Maybe Zuko couldn't hide his dread, because Jet reached over to push the hair from his face and said, "We're friends no matter what, remember? Until and unless you can't stand me any more."

That should have made Zuko laugh, but there wasn't a trace of Jet's cocky humor. The Freedom Fighter looked sad. _How could I not stand him? What my family's done, all he's lost; his home and family, he just decided not to blame me for it. He cares more about me than my sister does!_

Jet lowered his hand with obvious reluctance and Zuko wished again that he could lie or really feel the way Jet felt for him. Shouldn't the universe be fair that way? In all the world, only Uncle Iroh cared as much about him. Shouldn't that feeling be rewarded by being returned?

"We've got to talk tonight. It's important. I know you're still recovering and you'll be tired, but..."

"I'm fine. Even if I wasn't, important's important. Should we meet right after work?"

"Yeah." Hesitating, Jet lowered his head in thought, then looked up to catch his eyes. "Just one time?"

There was a plea in his expression, and expected grief, so visible it made Zuko hurt inside. He nodded. His friend leaned in to kiss him, slowly and with great tenderness, touching only lips to lips. The usual panic didn't strike. He wasn't being surprised. Didn't feel trapped. And this was Jet. It was safe. He just hoped it wasn't goodby.

After work they went to the Avatar's zoo. It wouldn't close till nearly curfew, so they could explore for a couple of hours. It bought some time before a conversation both were dreading for different reasons. "I've come here at night", Zuko told Jet, meaning late, on roof running nights. Of course Jet understood, so Zuko continued, "Not many people see the nocturnal species because they leave by sunset. This early we'll see them waking up. Have you ever seen a panda-bat?"

""Never", Jet said, obviously playing along.

"Nothing should be that cute. If they were up during the day the zoo would have visitors trying to steal them all the time. Even I was tempted to break into their enclosure to cuddle one."

Jet grinned. "Like that's surprising. Smellerbee said you've got a weakness for animals. I should've noticed myself. You always offer delivery critters a drink before their handlers."

"People get offered drinks all the time. Animals get forgotten."

Jet's smile softened as they watched the bicolored charmers awaken and begin to feed. Panda-bats were fruit bats and sometimes bamboo eaters, so they moved among a makeshift orchard of potted plants, slim bamboo and young trees. Zuko supposed that even the Avatar couldn't make plants grow at his whim. He rested a hand on the mesh keeping them from escaping into the city, where they'd be declared a nuisance pretty quickly once they went after the produce stalls. Even if they were adorable, a mirror image of the huge regular pandas he'd seen once on his travels. Their small black bodies had a white band that crossed their torsos and bordered their wings. Their large triangular ears were also white and their small dark eyes were made larger by wide white rings. One had come over to examine the hand laying against the mesh. It sniffed him, maybe picking up a hint of tea or his lunch. Sweet oranges had served as dessert. It flew off after deciding Zuko's fingers weren't some exotic fruit. He and Jet shared a grin at the little creature's disappointment.

It was getting late. Attendants were calling out, letting visitors know that the zoo was closing soon. Curfew was less than an hour away. "We can give it a little longer", Jet said.

Feeling his smile fade a bit, Zuko nodded. Not long after, he guided Jet toward a different entrance than the one they'd used before, one of the smaller side ones. He had a place in mind to talk, not far away. They could look down on the zoo and its illusion of open nature. It wasn't the kind of forest Jet might have found comfort in, but they didn't have those in Ba Sing Se. They were both refugees. They knew how to make do.

The buildings on this block were old and ornate, easy to scale, mostly converted from their original purposes. The one they climbed was still a theater, though, a little run down but still open. He'd wanted to save money for tickets so they could go sometime, him, Jet and the others. The plays he'd attended as a boy hadn't always been good even if Mother had loved going, but it had been fun. He and Azula had whispered to each other about the hammy performances, the silly costumes, the incredibly bad dialogue, and laughed as quietly as they could. That was a long time ago. Azula laughed at other things now, things their mother would have hated her doing. Before coming to Ba Sing Se, Zuko had all but forgotten how to laugh at all.

 _Even if I didn't owe the doctor and now the herbalist, too, I don't think we'll get to do it. Maybe they'll go without me. That afternoon I talked to Longshot, he seemed really interested. He hasn't gone in a long time, either. He said Jet and Smellerbee have never been to a play at all. Maybe he'll talk them into it._

He had to stop depressing himself, so he told Jet, "A lot of these buildings used to be embassies."

"Really?" Jet said, joining him on the sloping roof. There were decorative statues along the edge, mostly downspouts for channeling rain. Zuko crouched, resting his knees against a surprisingly accurate air bison, depicted arrow and all. Jet settled next to him, but rested his feet against it and sat straight-legged. Close as they were, they wouldn't be looking one another in the eye as they talked. He dwelt on his breathing until Jet was ready. Knowing the worst was coming was no reason to inflict his misery on him.

 _I understand. I'll tell him I understand,_ he thought. Then Jet started to speak and it wasn't about them at all.

"My Freedom Fighters and I came to Ba Sing Se to start over", he said, "but we still wanted to make a difference. I thought we could make this city better, maybe convince the people in charge to see that the war affects everyone, even behind these walls."

"I know", Zuko said, but wasn't sure Jet even heard him as he continued.

"I told you about the Movement, maybe not their name but how they impressed me. They had goals. They were making plans. First we put out fliers. Longshot or Smellerbee let you know, right?"

"Yes. They came and told me. I saw a few before they got taken down." He paused, but they'd always tried to be honest with each other. "A couple were kind of... excessive. They could be read as inciting insurrection. You don't want enemies that powerful, Jet. I'm talking from experience."

"I haven't antagonized Long Feng personally, yet", Jet said with an attempted chuckle. Zuko kept silent, encouraging him to continue. Jet sighed. "I never should have stayed away. Smellerbee told me you'd have made me listen. Too late now."

Zuko's nerves were being replaced by something worse. Concern. He'd had a rough week, but something terrible had happened to his friend. Friends, he was beginning to fear. "Why too late? What happened, Jet?"

"They had plans", Jet repeated, "talked about taking action. Not just fliers. Concrete protests against the bad guys, the ones who treat their own people like they're disposable. Like those factory owners."

A horrible thought tried to surface but Zuko rejected it. Jet might be hotheaded, but he wasn't stupid. He'd know the danger of arson in an enclosed city. He looked back at Jet but the Freedom Fighter wouldn't meet his eyes. Zuko looked back down at the peaceful zoo and waited.

"If it had just been me and my Freedom Fighters it would've worked", Jet said wearily. "If we'd waited and brought you in... I wish we had, Zuko, I really do. There were seven of us. We planned to do some damage, leave some messages, that's all. Spread the word that people are sick of being abused and won't put up with it much longer. Things need to change."

 _They do,_ Zuko thought, _but what did you do, Jet?_ He fought a wild urge to yell at him to just finish, to say it out loud. _Please let me be wrong. I'm usually wrong._

"I didn't take charge. I should have. This guy Kono was supposed to be our leader. The porcupine hounds almost made him wet himself."

Zuko began calming, meditative breaths, knowing the gist of the rest. He wasn't sure he wanted the details. "Is he the one that crippled Sifu?" he asked like the glutton for punishment he was. "Who left him to burn to death?"

"Sifu? That's Master, right? Or teacher. One of those."

 _He avoided answering,_ Zuko noted. "The others always followed his lead. He was brave. Very fierce until you earned his trust." Such a dignified creature, Zuko recalled, until his tongue rolled out of his mouth in canine pleasure when his long, velvety ears were stroked.

Jet muttered a curse that sounded self directed. "We weren't that patient. I decided to lure them out, then shut the gate on them. It worked, too. Only they got back in while we were wrecking the equipment in the building. We opened the door to leave and there it was. Open gate. If we'd worked together, watched each other's backs, we could've gotten out, shut the gate and gone. It opened inward. They couldn't have pulled it open. Nobody hurt. No dead animals. No fire."

"How did it start?" Zuko asked, controlling his voice with an effort.

"A couple of the guys panicked. Ran back into the factory. One of the others, there's something wrong with her! She wanted to fight them. Only not..."

"She wanted to hurt them."

"I think so. Yeah."

"I know someone like that."

On a different night, during any other conversation, Jet would have asked him who, then listened to his stories about Azula, and turtleducks, and why their mother had finally declared that they could have no pets. Not tonight. Instead, he continued in a condemned man's hopeless tone. "I decided to lure them into the factory so we could escape. The little one's leg was hurt and the bitch was cut, but she could still fight and the big one wasn't backing down."

"He was protecting his pack. Their home."

"I know. Brick; I know it's a dumb name, a fake name, he still won't tell us the real one, won't trust us; came running back in. He'd wrapped a greasy rag around one of the crowbars and lit it on fire. He drove the big... He drove Sifu back, hit him with the bar. We ran out but Dagger- How could I think some crazy girl who named herself after a weapon could be reliable? We never should've brought her. Dagger grabbed the torch and threw it back inside. You know how dirty that place was. Grease and wood shavings. It went up so fast, Zuko. And the water tap was inside the supply closet at the back. We couldn't even try to fight it."

A part of Zuko noticed that Jet knew he'd been there but dismissed it. Smellerbee had been Jet's friend first. She'd have seen no reason to keep Zuko's visits to the factory zone from him. Besides, his next question was so much more important, even as he kept telling himself, _Just an animal_ , as if that phrase had ever worked. It hadn't. Not for burned bunnycats or turtleducks torn from their shell. Not for Sifu. "Tell me you put him down. Tell me you didn't leave him alive and helpless to burn."

"I promised myself I wouldn't lie to you", Jet said hoarsely.

He didn't turn because his face was wet. Watching the moonlight's reflection in a tiny pond below them, he replied, "Please lie."

Silence, then Jet said, "I wish I could, but you need to hear the truth. I know you'll hate me. I couldn't go back in. Even if I wasn't too scared even to try, Smellerbee needed me. She got in Dagger's way and...She needed me."

"Smellerbee's hurt?" Zuko felt cold, then the anger rushed in to warm him. Even he was disturbed by the snarl in his voice when he said, "Tell me all of it."

"It was bad. Dagger was acting wild so Bee knocked her out, but they must've dropped their guards. She stabbed her with a prybar. Even the sharper end's not really sharp and Bee's stomach was all torn up. Me and Longshot and one of the others brought her to Katara but she was out fighting the fire with Aang. We had to wait. Sokka ran for a doctor and she cleaned Smellerbee's wound and stitched it. I think that's the only reason she was alive when they got back. She's still weak."

Zuko turned, still crouching, to look at his friend's miserable face. Seeing the guilt there helped him fight down the anger. "How bad is it? Will she recover? Was anyone else hurt?"

"No, but I screwed up so bad, Zuko. We're stuck. Kono and Kem Tong, the leaders, their only problem with the other night is that nobody knows it was a message. They want more crazy "actions"-that's what they call them. The violent stuff'll be "dynamic actions"."

Any other night, Zuko would have scoffed at the silly nomenclature. Tonight, he fought another surge of rage. "They want to cause more fires?"

"I haven't been given any orders yet, not more than, "Be ready and come when you're called. Or else."

Jet's voice cracked on the last words, reminding Zuko what he'd said moments ago. "How are you stuck? What have they done, Jet?"

The other boy looked at him, meeting his eyes for the first time in this conversation, looking as surprised as he did grateful. "They've rigged some evidence. The siblings'll be safe, but they'll hand the rest of us over to the Dai Li without hesitation. Maybe not Dagger", he said with a bitter chuckle. "They seem to think they can _use_ her. Channel her craziness somehow."

Zuko snorted, thinking again of his sister. "Good luck to them."

Silence fell as Zuko absorbed what he'd been told. He still couldn't believe his friends had been so foolish, especially Jet. Wasn't he the one who assessed the risks before leading the others into battle? Who decided what wasn't safe? Had he lowered his guard because these were his own people instead of the enemy?

 _He's smarter than that,_ Zuko thought, but his conscience added, _He must be so tired. The Freedom Fighters didn't start as any resistance, just a bunch of hungry, terrified children who looked to Jet because he knew the woods and a little more than they did about staying alive. Only he was a kid, too. And when he and the others came here, it's different from anything they've known. They're bright enough to see where Ba Sing Se is warped, but how could they know how to fix it? I don't have any master plan, either! So when they met someone who had plans, who was persuasive, maybe Jet felt like he didn't have to be a leader for once._

Remembering those terrifying weeks after his father took the crown, when it sank in that he was first born and heir and had to become smarter, wiser, stronger, _better,_ he could imagine Jet feeling a similar weight with his Freedom Fighters, even if he had chosen to bear it. _We're the same age. He pretty much played parent to a bunch of orphans when he was a kid himself. I couldn't have done it. I'd have been one of the kids who looked up to him, hopefully one that could help him like Longshot and Smellerbee do. It must have been so hard for him._

"They're extorting you", he said quietly. "Even if you wanted out of the group they won't allow it."

"Yeah. I know it's my own fault", Jet said bitterly. "I should've been more cautious, should've gotten your opinion before we got in so deep."

That startled a laugh out of him. "Me? I am the world's greatest master of bad decision making, Jet. I swam into the Northern Water Tribe's capitol with no escape plan except "Capture the Avatar somehow and then get out-somehow."

Jet actually laughed, and in the midst of this awful conversation. "I hope this isn't a competition."

"Just a warning. I wouldn't ask me for advice."

"I would. I am. Me, Longshot and Smellerbee are stuck but we don't want to help these guys destroy anything. Or hurt people. They won't care if that happens. How can we sabotage them without them turning us in?"

"You, Longshot and Smellerbee? I'm not one of you now?" Zuko asked, standing to confront the other boy, steep roof or not.

Jet shifted aside a bit. "That's probably not safe. Maybe you should sit back down."

"That's my decision, isn't it?" Zuko snapped, scowling. "I'm not one of you, right? Not a real Freedom Fighter? You wanted me in. Now you actually need my help so you're throwing me out? That's not acceptable, Jet. Those lunatics need to be stopped."

"They do but they have connections. It's dangerous to get involved in this. You know that, right?" Jet's words were a warning, but he had a grin on his face that Zuko couldn't glare away. In fact, it broadened. "You're sure? I thought you'd hate us forever. At least me."

"We can trade screw-ups sometime if it's that important", Zuko said, "but you and the others are the first real friends I've ever had and I know you had the best of intentions." He needed to get off of this emotional stuff. He was still angry but he'd take it out on Jet if they ever got to spar. For now they had more important priorities. "Did you ask about bringing me in? Tell them about me?"

"I planned to but things got complicated and I wasn't sure you'd, you know."

"Friends no matter what. You said so!"

"For me. I kept thinking you might not want to have me around", Jet replied. "Then you got sick and called Kono an idiot, which he really didn't like, so I thought I'd need time to smooth things over if you did want to join."

Zuko could feel himself smile, though it probably looked more like a catgator welcoming clumsy prey into its jaws. "They don't know you've got a man on the outside, then. Let's keep it that way. If you give me information I can interfere with any violent actions, make it look like a bad time to act or sabotage whatever they're trying to do. If smaller, nonviolent actions slip by, and stuff like fliers, they might not catch on that there's someone acting against them."

"The factory wasn't supposed to get violent."

Taking a deep breath, Zuko paced the roof's edge, eliciting a worried noise from Jet. "Tell me about potential actions so I can scout the area. If we know about possible problems we can think of solutions in advance."

"They'll catch on eventually."

"I intend to shut your Movement down before that can happen."

"Not mine, Zuko", Jet said grimly. "I figured that out too late but believe me, the Freedom Fighters are with you all the way."

 _He sounded like he was swearing an oath,_ Zuko thought. Maybe they both had. He squatted, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We both need some rest. Are you working tomorrow, too?"

"At the warehouse. I should be done by midday."

"Come by after for lunch, then. We'll talk more."


	26. Good News

"Why did I have to come with you again?" Toph griped as Katara put more vegetables in the basket she was carrying.

"I needed the extra hands", Katara replied bluntly, "and the boys both tend to get distracted. I'm not in the mood for that today."

Toph snickered, making Katara wonder if it was Aang's zoo or _every_ shopping trip with Sokka she'd thought of. Still, she was glad that Toph wasn't actually annoyed that Katara had insisted she come with her. She had an ulterior motive. They'd hardly seen the younger girl since the fire and Katara was concerned about where she'd been disappearing to. She had to watch Toph's temper, though. The little earth bender couldn't stand the thought of being handled.

While they shopped, she filled Toph in on what they'd been doing. Toph had been as delighted as the rest with the sweets she'd brought home and recalled meeting Jin briefly the other morning. She was almost disbelieving when Katara told her about her failure, again, to actually meet Li.

"A panic attack? Are you kidding me?"

"Ava said he's had problems with benders."

Toph shook her head. "Unbelievable."

"I guess if he wants to talk he can find me", she replied, shrugging. "Sokka's been exploring this part of the city with a girl."

"You don't like her", Toph said.

"I never said that!"

"You didn't have to."

 _Am I that obvious?_ Katara wondered. She decided to ask Toph what gave her away later, hoping it was something only Toph could notice, but wasn't willing to let herself be distracted. "Aang's glad to have new friends, he always is, but of course he's happier that Appa's doing so much better."

Toph just snorted, making Katara wonder why until she gave it a moment's thought. _She was as happy as any of us when Appa turned up_. _Well, except Aang. None of us was as worried as Aang, of course._ Which he'd taken out on Toph, who'd lost the bison while saving their lives. _He still hasn't apologized, either, has he?_

Katara decided she'd have to talk to him. Not everyone shrugged off hurt feelings easily and Toph had been heroic, even with the loss of their bison. She deserved acknowledgement. Right this moment, though, she needed to find out where Toph was spending her days lately. "I noticed you've been going out a lot, too", she said. "Did you meet some interesting earth benders?"

"Nah. The techniques are pretty standard around here if you leave the Dai Li out. _They_ don't share", she added like it was a personal insult.

 _Please don't pick any fights with the Dai Li,_ Katara managed not to say. Since she didn't plan to pick one herself, she teased Toph instead. "You haven't joined Sokka's poetry class, have you?"

"His what?"

Blessing her brother's talent for sheer goofiness, Katara said, "There's a poetry class that goes from one place to another since they don't have a real classroom. Or teacher. They just get together and, well, tell each other poems."

"Your brother is a strange guy."

Katara didn't disagree. "He told me last night that it wasn't the first poetry class he's been to. He stumbled into one when we were staying in the inner ring." Literally, she hesitated to add. "He claims that this one's a lot more fun, though. They don't throw you out over one extra syllable."

Toph laughed again. "I gotta make him tell us a poem tonight. Just for laughs."

"Apparently he's pretty good."

Something must have slipped into her voice or heartbeat because Toph asked, "What's the problem?"

"It's nothing, I guess. I just can't make myself like Yanmei." Which bothered her because there was no reason for her dislike. It wasn't just that she liked Suki, or thought he was trying too hard to forget Yue, who'd died so nobly. It was Yanmei, unless it was Katara.

"That's the girl he's with?"

"They're just spending time together."

"I've got to meet her", Toph said, and Katara almost cried with relief. That hadn't been idle curiosity. Toph's unique earth bending skills made her incredibly good at reading people. If there really was something off with Yanmei, she'd spot it.

"Thanks", she said, then realized that her friend had neatly sidestepped the question of her recent activities. "Where have you been going, Toph?"

"It's no big deal."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything", Katara said, choosing her words carefully. "I just think we should know where everyone goes. In case."

"I can take care of myself!"

"I know, but this is a new part of the city and the Outer Ring is huge. I worry about getting lost sometimes."

Katara could almost hear Toph's objection _s. I don't need a nanny, Sugar Queen!_ or _I don't get lost,_ said with blunt arrogance. Only nothing passed her lips. Her face grew thoughtful instead. They'd been warned very carefully. People did get "lost" in Ba Sing Se. The constables were indirect, but they were informative. Katara was relieved that Toph had absorbed at least some of their warnings. Joo Dee wasn't constantly around like she'd been when they stayed in the Central Ring, but the Dai Li were a constant ominous presence in this part of the city. None of them doubted they were being watched. _Gan even told us some of the guards would report to the Dai Li,_ Katara recalled.

"This city sucks", Toph muttered, a real concession after her previous outspoken complaints about Ba Sing Se and its endless rules.

After they paid for the food and started home, Katara asked again, "Where have you been going, Toph?"

Giving in with a sigh, Toph said, "It really isn't a big deal. One of the guys working the bucket brigade was a relative. Some sort of distant cousin. He said if I needed anything or wanted someone to show me around..."

"So you're getting to know family", Katara said, grinning at her embarrassed blush.

"Mom and Dad kept me out of the way. They never told anyone about me. Pan wondered if I was lying about my name, only he said he could see I was theirs right away when we met. He was kind of upset about them hiding me from everyone, but he thinks they had a reason. A couple of years before I was born, there was this kidnapping that went wrong. As in dead kid wrong. He says they probably had that in the back of their minds and then I was born blind. They panicked. They couldn't know I'd become a great earth bender."

Hearing the hint of guilt in her voice, Katara gave her a clumsy hug, the bag of rice she carried in that arm dangling from her fingertips. "You showed them how good you are. Maybe it'll sink in that you aren't helpless and they don't have to be afraid for you."

Shrugging off her momentary weakness, Toph said, "You know the printing machines they've got here? There are special ones at the university that make print you can _feel_. They need heavier paper, so it feels different, not flimsy like scrolls or our posters do."

"Why would anyone need to feel writing?" Katara asked, then really looked at her friend's unusually controlled features, barely concealing excitement. "Writing _you_ can feel."

"Pan wants to teach me to read." An unaccustomed tremor was in her voice. Toph always spoke of books with cheerful scorn, claiming they did nothing for her _._

 _How could they if she can't see?_ Katara thought. _Toph's smart and a great bender and sees like no one else in the world can. She must hate being reminded that there are things she can't do._

"He's studying at the university", Toph continued, "Learning means a lot to him. The guys who built the printer, you know where they got the idea? The oldest written stuff anyone's found was in stone. Some of it was clay tablets. They'd bake important records to make them last."

"Like pottery?" That was pretty clever. The Water Tribes had always used preserved hides.

"Just like. And really special stuff? Histories and stories they wanted to last forever? They'd carve it into rock. He's been showing me some of the university's collection. "

"Do you want him to teach you?"

Her friend dodged the question as neatly as a hurled boulder in an Earth Rumble match. "Pan figures if I can learn so can other blind people. I've never thought of _other_ blind people. I never met anyone else who couldn't see. And most of them probably aren't earth benders so they can't see like I do."

"Other earth benders can't do what you can." Toph never needed reminders of her amazing skill, but maybe just this once, Katara thought, responding to that trace of fragility in her voice, she did.

"You got that right", Toph replied. "I am the greatest in the world."

 _Maybe she didn't need a boost_ , Katara thought, but smiled at the small girl's boast anyway. "It sounds amazing."

" _They're_ amazing", Toph replied, suddenly sober. "There won't be any profit and it isn't for the war. Those guys just figured out a way to help make a few people's lives better so they want to try it. You know why Pan was in this part of the city in the first place? Him and his friends have money and educations and, you know, good lives, so they wanted to see how to make things better for people out here."

Katara thought that sounded a little condescending but withheld any comment. "So he and his friends come to the Outer Ring and do what, offer random help? Like errands?"

"That'd mess with people getting jobs. No, they started by holding meetings to find out what might actually be useful. Students have made money for years offering tutoring. There aren't enough regular schools and they're expensive. Pan's working on getting more tutors and he thinks if the student teachers traded classes sometimes their students could get more from it, too."

She almost asked how, but realized that these were scholars in all sorts of fields. A history student might have in-depth knowledge of history but offer little insight into something like math. The kids they taught might learn a lot more about different subjects if Pan's idea worked.

"That came from the meetings?"

"Yeah. He says they were a disaster at first. They'd hold them just after all the shops closed for the night so no one had to miss work. Only nobody came!" She chuckled and added, "It wasn't until this guy pointed out that they probably hadn't eaten all day and convinced Pan's buddies to offer food that anyone showed up."

Having missed a meal or two in their travels, Katara sympathized, but a disturbing thought suddenly struck her. "Joo Dee hasn't been coming to see us", she said, pitching her voice low. "Even the Dai Li have backed off a little. You don't think this is a weird coincidence, meeting long lost family like this? Someone who's _so_ nice and altruistic? It feels like maybe it's a trap."

"They aren't lying", Toph replied sharply. "I can tell, remember?"

"Maybe the trap's for them, too." The scary thought silenced them both.

As they approached their stable/residence, Katara spotted a wagon drawn up in front. The sturdy, two-legged draft animals harnessed to it were black feathered and horned, with surprisingly aware eyes when they looked back at the approaching girls. Noticing an oddity, Katara said, "That can't be safe", forgetting her friend wouldn't know what she meant.

Shifting her weight to set her stance, the earth bender asked, "What's not safe?"

"It's not a fight", Katara hastened to assure her. "The animals with that wagon don't have any reins. How does anyone control them?"

"Black, beaky and horned? Strong looking?" When Katara replied affirmatively, she continued. "They sound like crow oxen. They're supposed to be so smart they drive themselves. I never believed it, though."

"They're very clever", said a stranger, standing in their wide doorway. He was about her father's age with a stocky, broad-shouldered frame. His laugh lines and warm smile reminded her of Hakoda and the young water bender found herself smiling back.

"I'm Katara", she told him, "and this is Toph. They stepped around the wagon to approach and she felt obliged to add, "If you're here about the delivery service they've moved."

"That's not why he's here!" Aang said excitedly, coming up behind the man and handing him a cup of water. "He came to see me! This is Shen. His grandmother was an Air Nomad!"

##############

Zuko and Jet were eating their lunch in the alley behind Pao's. They weren't discussing their problems. The Movement hadn't set up another meeting yet, let alone issued any orders. Zuko intended to investigate the siblings quietly, but for today this was just time for the two of them to enjoy. Jet was definitely feeling better since last night, eating his noodles with gusto as he talked about his morning at the warehouse. Zuko felt more relaxed than he'd felt in probably years. Tipping his head back so the sun touched his face, he felt like a lizard basking on a rock. Jet glanced over when he chuckled. "Nothing. Just a goofy thought."

Jet raised a brow. "Yeah, how goofy?"

"Sorry to disturb you both", Hui said from the alley's mouth before approaching the pair. "Guozhi's gotten permission to try a sort of experiment and we all asked him to talk to you first, Li."

"Why?"

"How would you feel about helping out at the barracks? Cooking, seeing we're kept supplied with clean uniforms..."

"Don't you have someone doing that?" Jet asked.

"The light duty officer does it", Zuko informed him.

"Yeah, that's right", Hui said, "but we're going to be shorthanded for a while. One of the midring squads is down with food poisoning."

"What?" Zuko rose and put his dish down, hands clenching like he was gripping twinned swords. "How did it happen? Was it accidental or did someone...?" He cut himself off. If there had been a poisoning attempt, the authorities would never tell an outsider. Also, Hui's easy grin told him he was being paranoid. "Sorry", he muttered.

He could hear Jet chuckle, but the bearded guard just crossed his arms, looking amused. "It's all on their light duty officer, apparently. He doesn't do food well. We've all joked about the guy's lousy cooking for years. Nobody likes stopping there when he's got the duty. This time, though? Nobody's sure if it was stored wrong or bought rancid. They're pretty sure it wasn't cooked long enough."

"You sound pretty forgiving", Jet noted. "I'm guessing nobody died."

Zuko felt sick at the mere thought. _How are they both so calm? This shouldn't have happened! Proper storage, checking for freshness, those are basic skills!_ _Don't they remember the siege? They should be just as aware of supplies as any sailor!_ he thought, recalling the lessons of his own few years at sea.

Hui was eying Zuko as he replied to Jet's comment. "Nobody died. They did get lucky, but it could have happened at any barracks. Most of us aren't cooks or housekeepers. We try to squeeze that stuff in while doing our regular duties."

Zuko had noticed. People came to the barracks to pay fines or lodge complaints all day, every day, if his few days there were anything to go by. Pen Tow had been awfully active for a man who was supposed to be staying off his injured foot. "Would there still be a light duty officer for official business? I don't think just anyone should be authorized to collect the city's money."

Hui raised his brows. "You been talking to Long Feng. That's one of the reasons he's been against a civilian aide for years."

"No! Um, but he's changed his mind?"

"It's an experiment", Hui said. "Some squads will remain with the current system with a few new rules in place..."

"Like don't poison everyone?" Zuko interrupted. Jet chortled at his sarcasm.

"Food handling rules should be part of it", Hui replied. "Remember, a lot of the guys don't know this stuff. Food carts are really popular, especially since so many of us are bachelors." Ignoring Zuko's scornful muttering about food carts and how lucky the Watch was not to _always_ be down with food poisoning, he continued, "Some barracks will have a full time civilian aide. We weren't sure you'd want that so we asked if, if you'd rather not, you could do it a few days a week. If you want to do it at all."

Zuko had realized a while back that he enjoyed cooking and took satisfaction from a freshly cleaned room. He liked most of the guards and respected the work they did, especially how decent they tried to be despite the crazed shifts and lack of appreciation for it. The Dai Li were feared. Nobody challenged them, ever. The City Watch? They weren't powerful benders. They weren't behind Ba Sing Se's disappearances or connected to the strange behavior of the people who actually did reappear. They were a safer target for the hostility no one dared show to Long Feng's agents. If he could make their base a little bit more comfortable, an actual haven once they were off duty, he'd like to. "I'll have to discuss it with my uncle."

"Maybe's a better answer than no", Hui said, a grin on his face as he turned away."I'd better get inside before Gan drinks my tea."

"Uncle would never just leave it on the table. Even if Gan ordered for you he'll brew it when you come in."

"Which is why he's the best tea master out there." Hui offered them a casual wave as he turned the corner.

He heard Jet laugh quietly again as Hui disappeared from sight. "They want you to be their maid? And you're actually considering it?"

"So what if I am?"

Jet just looked him over with a big grin.

"Their barracks is a lot bigger than an apartment and they work just as long as we do! Longer sometimes", Zuko snapped. "And they walk a good section of the city to do it. They break up fights and catch thieves and have to write reports on all of it! Every day. Even the so-called light duty work can be exhausting."

"Lucky you look good in an apron", Jet said. "Make sure they get you a cuter one than Pao's."

Since Zuko couldn't think of a clever reply, he settled for giving Jet's shoulder a firm shove. He managed not to fall off his crate but yelped, "You almost made me drop my lunch!"

Zuko collected his plate and ate a mouthful of the cooling noodles, knowing the action didn't hide his smirk.

#############

Uncle Iroh stayed home for dinner that night. Zuko assumed that it was to make sure he didn't overexert himself before he'd fully recovered, only his uncle looked at him over their plates with a serious expression and an ecstatic gleam in his eye as he said, "I would like to discuss something very important with you, nephew. Something that will change our lives for the better."

 _Is it the widow? Maybe the one with the jewelry and the little ferret cat?_ he wondered, half hoping and half dreading the idea that Uncle was serious about one of his ladies.

Leaning back in his chair, Iroh said," A business man from the Central Ring has offered us our own tea shop! Is that not wonderful news? "

He went on, talking about potential names and several locations he was going to see in the next week with the investor. _It's almost the anniversary_ _and he's happy,_ Zuko thought _. For the first time since Lu Ten died he's not just brooding more and more until the day comes. He'll need me with a new business. There'll be so much to do._ And he never did notice the dust up high.

He'd intended to discuss the Watch's offer, but didn't bring it up after all. He listened and nodded and if Uncle didn't see that he was distracted that was good. He was just disappointed, after all.


	27. Dinner Chat

Dinner Chat

 _Dinner with Dagger and the Avatar's gang,_ Jet thought, listening to the young air bender chatter away at the other visitor. _Oh, and we can't forget Aang's long lost cousin. How did this happen again? Was Granny Shen even from the same temple?_ He poked dubiously at the generous serving of a gelatinous glop called sea prunes currently occupying his plate. He'd have assumed it was a bloodless form of revenge by the Water Tribe siblings, but both had eaten their own with obvious relish. He thought wistfully of the fried fish special they'd been planning to buy on the way home, a treat to celebrate Smellerbee's improved health.

Naj La had declared that Smellerbee was well enough to continue her recovery at home, assuming she didn't follow Li's example and actually got some rest. Jet and Longshot had come to collect her after work, only to be introduced to a middle aged Earth Kingdom merchant who claimed Air Nomad ancestry. They seemed to believe him. Aang's earth bending teacher claimed she could feel when people lied, which sounded almost as unreliable as the merchant's unproveable story. So far, he hadn't asked the group for anything and Jet chose to believe that Sokka would object to anything he deemed shady, just like he had with Jet's plans months ago.

At least Shen was generous. He'd taken it upon himself to treat Aang and his companions to a traditional Water Tribe style meal, brought from a restaurant in the Central Ring. There was so much food they hadn't hesitated to invite the Freedom Fighters and Yanmei to join them. Much of it was interesting, but it wasn't really traditional, Katara claimed with a cook's expertise. She tasted Earth Kingdom herbs in some dishes and there were several vegetarian offerings.

"Which is great for Aang", Sokka put in, "but we don't do vegetarian." Grease from some fatty animal the Freedom Fighters had never heard of ran down his chin. He blushed when Yanmei leaned close to lick it.

"You taste so good", she told him, voice a throaty purr that made Sokka redden further while his sister looked ready to kill. Instead, a stream of water whipped between the pair to separate them, the action disguised as simply washing Sokka's messy face.

"It looked disgusting", Katara said with a sharp-edged smile.

Aang and Shen had been caught up in conversation and seemed to miss the byplay, but Jet was glad to see Katara had her eye on the crazy girl. The earth bender, Toph, also seemed to be following their interaction despite being blind.

Aang jumped up, saying, "Watch me!" He spun into a display of air bending tricks that left Jet and his friends goggle eyed while Shen's smile widened into a grin. He applauded as Aang circled the table on a ball of spinning air, balancing first on one foot, then the other before winding up beside the merchant again and hopping off with a born showman's bow. Jet was pretty sure he heard Longshot chuckle.

"I bet I can teach you", the kid told Shen.

"I'm a bit old for new tricks", Shen replied, shaking his head with a regretful smile.

"Don't you want to try?" Aang gave him a classic big-eyed bunny-kitten look and Jet gave Shen credit for being able to resist. It'd taken him years to learn to ignore that look from his younger kids, until he finally realized that giving them their way wasn't always the best thing for them.

"Every Air Nomad was a bender", Aang told them hopefully.

"By the time you're my age, you know who you are", Shen replied.

The poor kid nodded, his whole body slumping in disappointment. "I guess."

"I heard that every Air Nomad could bend", Smellerbee said, "but that's not true for the rest of the nations."

Jet was a little surprised and a lot relieved to hear her speak up. A quiet, seemingly cowed Smellerbee wasn't normal. At least, it hadn't been for a long time. _Don't think about that,_ he told himself. _She isn't scared of Dagger, she's pissed, but Bee's too smart to pick a fight when she can hardly walk._

"I know", he heard Aang reply. "Sokka's not a water bender but Katara is."

"And my parents can't earth bend", Toph added.

"Shen's grandma might've been the only bender in the entire family", Smellerbee said. "Lots of families aren't benders. The records for Longshot's family go back to before Chin the Conqueror. Not one bender in all that time."

"Really? And Earth Kingdom records tell stuff like that? If somebody was a bender?" Sokka asked.

"One's family history is very important here", Shen said. His voice was a little weird. Toph's frown behind that mass of bangs obscuring her face implied that she heard it too.

"How'd your grandmother fake the records?" Jet asked, genuinely curious. He also wanted a look at Shen's response. "For the wedding and stuff."

He watched Shen suppress a scowl, replacing it with another smile, this one not quite real seeming. "She was never Grandfather's wife. He kept her as a concubine all his life. Had his wife's children not died young, my father never could have inherited the family property."

 _I bet the neighbors still don't let him forget it, either,_ Jet thought. _No wonder he was mad._ "Sorry."

Shen waved off his gaffe, saying, "This world is rarely kind. We can only live by its rules."

"Do you have any benders in your families?" Katara asked brightly.

 _Not anymore,_ Jet thought with a rush of anger, not even hearing Yanmei's indifferent reply. He took back control, telling himself, _She's trying to lighten the talk back up, be a proper hostess. She just didn't think._ "There were a couple of cousins on my mother's side", he said.

"My grandma", Smellerbee said. "My aunt, too, but she had to leave when", she hesitated, mindful that the war wasn't spoken of in Ba Sing Se, "the local climate changed."

Jet noticed her voice getting softer, knowing that it wasn't fear of the Dai Li or anything living, just memory. She'd had a large family once. Now it was just her, Jet and Longshot, kin by mutual adoption. It was barely a whisper when she added, "My brother."

"Is he any good?" Dagger asked, dark eyes calculating.

 _Wondering if he'll be after you, witch? He won't, but we will be,_ Jet promised silently. _Soon._

Toph tipped her head like a listening hound while Smellerbee replied, her tone almost normal. "He never got trained. He started moving pebbles just after he learned to walk. Then they raided the farm."

Jet and Longshot shared a worried glance. Smellerbee's pupils were almost invisible dots in her huge eyes. Her skin was pale and clammy looking. Jet was sure she'd be cold to the touch if he dared to reach out, but he didn't. He knew better. Turning to Sokka, he asked, "Are most Water Tribe families mixed, too? Some benders, some not, all in the same family?"

"Some stronger families were nearly all benders, I think", he replied, although he gave Smellerbee a concerned glance as he spoke. "We haven't had any besides Katara for a long, time, though, so I'm not really sure."

 _Did I know that?_ Jet asked himself. _I encouraged her to talk when we met, but how much did I really listen?_ He'd been obsessed with the Fire Nation's dam and the reservoir behind it, ready to destroy it by any means. But they'd lost, hadn't they? The enemy returned in force. The Freedom Fighters, mostly children, had scattered for safety once Jet admitted they couldn't beat the Fire Nation troops. _We got in a few good shots,_ he thought proudly. _I miss them, and our forest, and the camp._

He couldn't help wondering if the Fire Nation would rebuild the dam, drowning their families' graves again. He pictured the ruins of the Earth fortress they'd destroyed, then submerged as if to hold down the spirit of the man who'd defied them so fiercely till the end of his life. Who'd inspired the survivors, like Jet, to continue the fight.

Their hosts were starting to look at him and Bee strangely. His guts felt leaden and he knew it wasn't the sea prunes. He glanced toward Longshot, whose gaze caught his like a lifeline. Then the archer offered a slight, calming nod, turning his head to meet Smellerbee's eyes as well. She managed a weak attempt at a smile, but that was enough to prove she'd escaped the trap of memory.

Dagger, seemingly immune to the undercurrents in the room, rose. "I gotta go. Thanks for dinner." She stooped as she walked past Smellerbee, saying, "See you at tomorrow's meeting."

Bee clenched her fists. Jet said, "She won't be there. Doctor's orders."

"That's not good."

"Too bad."

He was ready to stand up himself and get in her face, but Aang asked, "What kind of meeting? Are you guys in a club?"

"Kinda", Yanmei said, not looking at him. She and Jet were staring each other down, then she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Too bad some people don't like to have fun."

"I'm a regular killjoy", Jet said.

She snorted again, told Sokka, "See you tomorrow night, poetry club's meeting at this place I know, fun joint. Right?"

"Sure. Sounds great", he replied with less enthusiasm than he'd shown for her company earlier.

As Dagger left, Jet noticed Shen looking after her. It wasn't the friendly mentor look he'd offered to Aang. It wasn't an older man stealing a look at a pretty young girl. There was cool measurement in his eyes. Maybe he, like Katara, sensed something off about her. He hoped so.


	28. Orders

Orders

"This warehouse is being used by importers", Kem Tong said, pointing to the mark on the wall map with evident contempt. "They specialize in the kind of valuable, expensive things only residents of the Central Ring can ever hope to enjoy. We are going to liberate some of its contents for the people."

Jet listened to her and Kono's unfolding plan with rapidly growing disgust. "Who needs Water Tribe furs or glass from Omashu? What does a warehouse full of luxury crap mean to ordinary people?"

"Most wouldn't appreciate the value", Kono agreed with a condescending smile, "But those who do will gladly buy the items for a, shall we say, discounted but still respectable price."

Boli growled, "You want to turn us into a bunch of thieves!"

Longshot put a hand on the burly farmer's leg. Boli turned to glare at the silent teen, but calmed under the calm, serious gaze that caught his. Jet had long ago stopped counting the times he'd been grateful for his friend's uncanny gift. He just took the opportunity to ask, "What's the goal here? You want to sell expensive stuff and do what, exactly?"

"Our efforts need to be financed", Kono said. "I'm sure things worked differently in your woodsy home, but Ba Sing Se is civilization. Civilization requires money."

A tap on Jet's leg helped him control his snarl. There was a reason he kept Longshot between him and Boli. They needed his bedrock strength, especially now.

"So this warehouse thing, it's for the cause", Brick said, trying to sound confident. He didn't really pull it off.

"That's right. We're acting for a higher purpose", Kem Tong said with conviction. Jet wasn't convinced. He'd fallen for the act before.

"Do we burn the place to hide what we took?" Dagger asked, fooling with a weird folding knife.

"No more fires", Jet said. The siblings backed him, but without any real force, and he thought bitterly, _They're as dangerous as she is! They won't care if anybody gets hurt._

Longshot was watching her play with the knife. Jet assumed he'd already thought of several practical uses for such a blade and gone on to wanting to see if the thing was actually any good. Jet just kept imagining using it to remove the menace before she could turn on them again. He considered himself pretty jaded. Little horrified him anymore but Dagger did. When he dreamed these days, Dagger's gleeful singing as she goaded the porcupine hounds, the torch flung into the factory for the sole purpose of making it burn, and, most of all, the memory of Smellerbee's torn stomach, drove him from sleep in a cold sweat. He didn't scream. He'd learned not to scream before his ninth birthday. It wasn't so much a talent as a survival trait.

The nightmares were an unspoken reason he'd agreed to a suggestion of Zuko's. The others had seen how bad Smellerbee's wound was. Most people knew little about water benders. Even fewer had heard that they could heal, and fewer still believed it. Even Boli didn't know how effective Katara's healing had been. Smellerbee did still need time to recover, but not as much as the others believed. Zuko had encouraged Jet not to enlighten them.

Jet had told the others that _of course_ Smellerbee was still part of the Movement, but her physical usefulness would be limited for some time to come. They'd acted suspicious, especially Kono, So Jet had hinted that Smellerbee's weakened condition could put her comrades' safety at risk. Both Kono and Brick had become a lot more concerned for her frail health.

Longshot's sardonic glance was the main reason Jet hadn't knocked the cowards' heads together. Boli had scowled down at the table like he was fighting the same impulse. _He stayed to help us with Smellerbee,_ Jet recalled. _If he hadn't thought of Katara she might have died. I want to trust him._ Jet could remember the first time he'd seen Boli, though. His very public loss of temper could have gotten him arrested. Maybe questioned by the Dai Li. His next outburst might endanger all of them if the Freedom Fighters chose to bring him into their secret resistance prematurely. For now, Jet intended to watch the older man and try to keep calm enough to survive this mess they were all involved in.

"We'll need to msurvey the train tracks as well", Kem Tong was saying. "My brother and I have ... contacts. Ones who can acquire useful things for us if the price is right. Weapons. Explosives. There are drugs used on sick benders so they can't use their", she pursed her lips disapprovingly, "abilities."

"It keeps them from hurting anyone when they're delirious or", Kono grinned like he was saying something funny, "otherwise out of control."

"And you can get some." Brick was an odd study, seeming disturbed and impressed in equal measure.

"And we have several plans in mind to make use of them", Kem Tong said, the cruel satisfaction on her face worse than her earlier smugness. It was echoed in her brother's smirk.

 _Hospitals know how to build for benders. At least some of the construction is wood, a wing or the upper floors like at the Guards' barracks,_ Jet mused. _The Water Tribe builds from ice, but I bet at least a few of their buildings aren't._ The likeliest people to need drugs for benders was the military for field hospitals and captured fire benders. _The Army stays on the Outer Wall. Generals head right for the palace when they do come inside. How did these two find someone to sell them medical supplies?_

The whole thing felt like a trap. When forming the Movement, Kono and Kem Tong had talked like they were ordinary people, no different from those they wanted to help. With their new hold over the group, the siblings were revealing assets and connections that implied otherwise. Jet wanted Zuko to get a good look at the pair. He was a prince, he'd grown up with plots and deception. On the other hand, he had no talent for deception himself.

As the meeting drew to an end, Jet couldn't shake his bad feeling. He'd discovered what caused it, too. Much as they talked about "the people", Kono and Kem Tong acted less and less like they were part of them. Their disdain for most of humanity was more evident all the time. Even Zuko, short tempered royal that he was, thought more of ordinary people than they did. When Jet called him on his occasional bouts of arrogance, he was embarrassed at his own behavior. These two? They'd get mad at _him._

Kem Tong and Kono were showing more and more a sense of entitlement that didn't feel like class. Jet couldn't figure out what they were. Besides dangerous and untrustworthy. They'd made that part obvious.


	29. Long Feng Is Busy Today

Long Feng is Busy Today

"Long Feng's the guy in charge", Sokka said unhappily. "Everyone says so, right?"

The group, gathered in Appa's field to "enjoy the fresh air", agreed with varying levels of resignation. They were as sick of secret meetings as they were of being constantly watched and long past sick of being handled by Joo Dee. Recently, Sokka had joked that maybe the Earth King was just a myth, sounding half serious. Overhearing him, Hui had said the theory had merit, sounding completely serious. They still weren't sure if he'd been kidding.

"We need to tell someone in authority about the eclipse", Katara said. Even to herself, she sounded tired of repeating that.

"We tried. Long Feng could care less", Toph replied. Leaning against one of Appa's legs while he devoured a bale of hay, she raised her foot off the ground, picking dirt from under the toenails.

Lying belly down on the air bison's back, Aang let out a long sigh. "We should talk to him again. They attacked the wall with that drill. What if it happens again?"

"Don't you mean, What'll they do when it does happen again?" Sokka asked, crossing his arms.

"Maybe it won't", Katara said without conviction. Although they teased her brother about being paranoid, they all knew that the war went on while they were stuck here behind Ba Sing Se's walls. The Fire Nation knew they were here. Recalling how relentless Zuko had been while pursuing Aang, she could only imagine what Azula, who seemed to have access to any troops and equipment she desired, would be like. _Not that she needs troops. Those girls she travels with are terrifying on their own,_ she thought, suppressing a shudder. "Aang's right. We should try to convince Long Feng."

"I said it first!" Sokka yelled, throwing up his hands.

"And you're right", Aang said with a grin, spinning down off Appa's broad back. "We should go see Long Feng right now!"

Neither boy was keeping his voice down any more and there was a snort, maybe a stifled laugh, from over by the fence. The young city watchman offered a wave when they all looked toward him but kept any opinion to himself. Katara was fine with that. He seemed nice enough, feeding the occasional treat to Momo as he kept watch, but she didn't know how reliable his advice might be. Both Gan and Hui, who always pretended he was joking, told them how the city really worked and made it clear when they were approaching dangerous behavior. While they might have risked asking the two Guards, they were both off for the next few days. Then they'd be back on another fourteen day watch rotation.

They set out for the train station a short while later. The young guard who'd heard them talking wished them luck, but Katara got the impression he didn't think it would do them much good.

When they reached the outer gates of the palace complex, Aang asked not for an audience with the Earth King but a meeting with Long Feng. A message was sent to the Grand Secretariat's office but word came back that he was busy.

"We'll wait", Aang said firmly.

It was a _long_ afternoon.

While it was the Army's job to deal with possible Fire Nation interference in city affairs, Long Feng hadn't become Ba Sing Se's unofficial ruler by blindly accepting others' assessments. To this day, he studied the many reports that crossed his desk with an analyst's sharp eye, picking out discrepancies and possible errors. When word came that they held Prince Lu Ten's corpse, the generals had wanted to display the crushed ruin from the city's outermost wall. Uncivilized, barbaric, and a missed opportunity, Long Feng had judged. Instead, he'd offered to return the bodies of the Fire Nation dead to General Iroh, which had led to the exchange of prisoners and ultimately the withdrawal of the grief stricken father from the field of battle. Desecrating his only child's corpse might have driven him mad with rage and led to the city's destruction. There was a segment of the Army that still resented Long Feng, even whispering that he'd stolen the King's authority. _As if I'd have exposed the boy to that nightmare,_ he thought. _I could barely stomach the sight of those bodies myself!_

His actions had been proven correct over time. Devastated by their heavy losses, including the much admired prince, the Fire Nation Army's morale had been shattered by their mourning leader's abrupt retirement. General Iroh's successors had lacked his brilliance. Fire Lord Ozai sent commands but offered little support. He appeared to have little military acumen but a vast thirst for glory.

These events had allowed Long Feng to convince the Fire Nation officers to turn their attention elsewhere, but he was well aware they'd eventually return. Every year since the siege's end had found at least two spies in Dai Li custody. They'd been molded into an adequate spy network on the city's behalf, but brainwashing could only do so much.

The face of that scarred young refugee crossed his mind. He could have been trained to be a true asset, Long Feng believed, and his judgement in such matters was excellent. Unfortunately his scar would make him stand out among Fire Nation citizens. Unscarred, he'd pass for trueborn Fire Nation, which was probably all the reason some fire bender had needed to burn a child with such evident malice. A trend had developed in the later years of Azulon's reign, embraced and expanded on by his successor. Fire, so they claimed, was the superior element. Their element, their people, their culture, stood above and ought to rule over all else. Absurd, naturally, but it had created an obsessive arrogance, a sense of entitlement, and increased brutality in its adherents. That theoretical superiority didn't end the occasional act of rape that spread their so precious blood outside their own kind. _They probably tell themselves the child's been blessed with a better birthright than they deserve,_ Long Feng thought, knowing that those children were also viewed as less than true Fire Nation and despised. _Even Azulon never claimed that._

There was a report about the former Fire Nation General and heir to the throne, Iroh. Ozai had finally dared to label his older brother a traitor in order to be rid of him. _Or the old man's gotten his fire back and decided to claim his crown, after all._ That was undoubtedly Ozai's greatest nightmare. The exiled son had been added to the list of traitors as well. Death for both was not only authorized but encouraged. He wondered if the boy was really involved or if the general had used his exile as a means to travel the colonies and Earth Kingdom, garnering support. _He was a very popular leader,_ Long Feng recalled, _especially with his soldiers._

He ignored the enclosed wanted posters. He'd peered at the Dragon of the West's grim face too often through a spyglass to want to see him again. The siege was over and Iroh was undoubtedly seeking allies among the small groups of deserters already scattered across the continent. He'd also seen a sketch of Prince Zuko, young face still swathed in bandages, done by a spy just after his exile. He had no desire to see that ruin again. It was whispered that his father had done it, at least among a few well placed Fire Nation nobles _. Although they aren't too "noble" to do business with the enemy,_ he thought contemptuously. _Did he really intend to mark the boy as unworthy of his blood?_ Ozai's mad behavior, even worse than that of King Kuei's father, confirmed Long Feng's belief that the self-proclaimed nobility needed to be closely managed for the nation's greater good.

 _And now there's the Avatar to deal with,_ he thought with some irritation. _The war that we have, possibly a Fire Nation civil war playing out on Earth Kingdom soil soon, and he wants to play general with our soldiers' lives as the stakes?_ When told that the children were outside, he'd told his aide that they could wait. Ba Sing Se had nearly been destroyed once already. He wouldn't endanger it on the word of a prepubescent boy. When would they take a hint and leave?

Following the Fire Nation report was a background check on one of several potential brides for King Kuei. No hint of scandal or political leanings were apparent. He encouraged her return to the palace. Another, less acceptable, was invited to stay away.

A refugee wished to open a tea shop in the Central Ring. Since he couldn't afford to do it alone, a prominent city family was backing him. The names caught his eye and he frowned. Calling in his aide, he said, "Get Qin Pu Lo in here."

When the office door opened and a bland, serious looking man hurried out, Katara rose to address him, but he hurried past without acknowledging her.

"Hey!" Sokka called out, but he was also ignored. "Jerk."

"We aren't getting in there", Toph stated cynically.

"They said he was busy today", Aang said. "We just need to wait our turn." He started drumming his heels on the wooden bench, built along the drab corridor's pale green plastered wall.

"Can't you meditate or something?" Toph grumbled.

"It's not exactly serene in here", he replied, then brightened, "but maybe that'd make it good practice!" He folded his legs under him on the seat, pressing his fists together and closing his eyes. One popped open again immediately. "Call me if they call us in while I'm doing it, okay?"

"You got it", Sokka replied, pulling out his boomerang to examine its edge.

"That does _not_ need sharpening", Katara told him. If they wanted to get Long Feng to listen to them, they'd need to be calm and logical. She didn't need the thin, whiny scraping of Sokka's whetstone to fray her nerves. The wait was doing them enough damage.

The Dai Li secretary came back with another, younger Dai Li Katara recognized as the one Li rescued the night of the fire. "Hello again", she said, but he didn't stop, offering a distracted half wave as he followed the other agent into Long Feng's office. She huffed as she settled back against the bench.

"Who's your friend?" Sokka asked sarcastically.

Embarrassingly, she couldn't remember the agent's name. "He was there the last time I went to visit Li, I guess to thank him for saving his life."

"The one that gave him a panic attack?" Toph asked, sitting up and looking interested. "So Sokka, how scary looking is he?"

"Not very", he replied. "He kinda looks scared himself, like his Gran Gran caught him doing something and now he's gonna hear about it."

"So speaks our expert on getting in trouble", Katara said, feeling a teasing grin come to her lips.

"Like you never get in trouble!"

"Name one time!"

He didn't stop at one and they started to argue. Toph seemed to enjoy the show, but Aang inched away with a beleaguered sigh. "Trying to meditate here."

Dismissing his aide, Long Feng gestured for Qin Pu Lo to seat himself on the low, uncomfortable chair reserved for visitors. The young man already looked nervous. "Your aunt and her husband are investing in a tea shop."

Qin Pu Lo feigned simple attentiveness, but Long Feng noticed sweat at his temples. "The shop will be in the Central Ring. Quite accessible if you were seeking", Long Feng paused to narrow his eyes, "tea."He managed not to swallow, but Qin Pu Lo's gray eyes flickered.

 _Good,_ Long Feng thought, _he knows what I'm implying. And that I don't find it acceptable._ "Did you ask them to sponsor Mushi?"

"Long Feng. Sir." Qin Pu Lo floundered for a moment before sitting a little forward and speaking firmly. "I owe his nephew my life. He's clearly used to better things than some grimy apartment in the Outer Ring. I only thought to offer something better in a way that wouldn't leave him feeling indebted."

 _So speaks the boy from the Central Ring,_ Long Feng thought, suppressing his scowl. Out loud, he said, "That young man wouldn't tolerate a dirty apartment."

Qin Pu Lo looked baffled, making his superior think how ignorant the young man really was. _He doesn't understand that pride isn't only for rich men and aristocrats._

"I'll allow the permit", he said. His subordinate released a sigh of relief. "I expect them to succeed or fail on their own merits, although they do say Mushi truly is a master at brewing tea. Furthermore, I expect no unwelcome intrusions."

"Sir! I wasn't planning to do anything. Except maybe stop in for tea", he added almost guiltily.

He had been planning to seek out the nephew again. Long Feng kept his voice level and cold as he dealt with that issue. "See that your actions remain proper. You represent Ba Sing Se's power and authority. That child is a refugee and a minor. Even a hint that you desire compensation for giving Mushi this opportunity would rightly terrify the boy. Do not crowd him. Do not attempt to be alone with him. _Certainly_ do not touch him. If you enter that shop, you will order tea, drink tea, and leave. Is that clear?"

"Very clear, sir."

Dismissing the sweat covered young agent, Long Feng wondered if he'd overreacted to a well meant act of gratitude. He turned back to his reports, trying to put aside memories of why he'd created such stringent safeguards. The decades long influx of refugees, interrupted only by General Iroh's siege, had brought an atmosphere of chaotic fear to the city, bringing out the most brutal and exploitative behavior in many. He'd grown up with it, but fought his way to the relative safety of high-ranking Dai Li agent and Central Ring resident. As he gained the power to act, he'd put a stop to the worst abuses, but concluded over time that the only way to still the fear was by silencing voices that continued to speak of the war and all its horror. Rewriting memories, instilling devotion and optimism in place of rage and war mongering, was far kinder than the violent methods used by his predecessor.

Those methods had been authorized by Kuei's father, who'd been known to come watch the bloody interrogations. The day he brought his tiny heir with him , Long Feng had known it was time he acted. The horrible man died soon after. Long Feng gained control of the little king's upbringing and training, over time taking charge of the Dai Li as his superiors retired, some more permanently than others. They never had understood the scope of his modification theories. Having secured his position and shielded the king from corruption, he used them to cleanse the city. The Dai Li didn't torture. Vices men were unwilling to suppress were managed with laws and oversight to protect those involved in the unsavory work. The king had grown to be a decent young man with enough sense to leave the details of rule in Long Feng's capable hands.

Now the Avatar wanted to bring the violence back to his city. Did the brat not see the Fire Nation outpost nearby? Did he really think they had troops to spare on his whim? _They nearly took the city once already. If that man's son weren't killed we all might have died!_ He gritted his teeth. _At best we'd be an enormous Fire Nation work camp, any surviving earth benders enslaved on factory boats on the lake while the rest suffer the attentions of their new overlords._

Which would break the many who'd already suffered them once. Signalling his aide, he told him to send for the children's Joo Dee to deal with them. He was becoming hungry. No doubt they were as well. Perhaps she could persuade them to go eat something. He turned back to his reports.

There had been a burst of activity at the Fire Nation base when their princess had arrived. The massive drill, new equipment, proved what he'd suspected all along: the Fire Nation was preparing another attack on Ba Sing Se and had no intentions of wasting two more years trying to take it. In her arrogance, Princess Azula had given the game away. This report outlined what his engineers had learned so far by studying the wrecked drill. The Avatar's group had a knack for finding weak points, they conceded. _They didn't have an easy time, though. If the enemy had come in force, with several of those drills, their efforts would have been meaningless._

"The Avatar saved the city!" some of the stupider witnesses claimed, but the girl would never have commandeered that prototype if he and the others hadn't come to Ba Sing Se. _Maybe we do owe him something. We've got the ruined drill to study. By the time the attack comes, maybe we'll have found ways to destroy them that don't involve fighting our way inside._

Joo Dee slipped in, gaining Long Feng's attention with a discreet little cough. "The young Avatar and his companions don't wish to leave in case they miss you, Grand Secretariat. I have explained that you have many obligations and may not have time to see them. Although I told the children they might wish to make an appointment they prefer to wait."

Long Feng massaged his temples. "Of course they do. I was planning to eat in my office today. Tell my aide to make it five orders from the usual place. The Avatar's meal should be meatless.

"As you wish, Grand Secretariat", she replied, bowing herself out. An image of the wretched, suicidal girl she'd once been flashed in his memory and he shut his eyes to will away the past. _She serves Ba Sing Se. She's safe and contented. The war will not get a chance to shatter her again, whatever the Avatar might desire._

At about the same time the food arrived, so did a harried looking messenger _. Naturally,_ he thought. _How often do I eat my lunch hot?_ "Yes?"

The Avatar's group started to rise as the messenger and Long Feng strode past them. "Sit down", he ordered, not even pausing. "Someone should get to eat their food hot!"

"Maybe we can help?" Aang called after him, but it was halfhearted and his voice seemed to fade. Katara gave his arm an encouraging pat but it was Joo Dee he looked at, seated on the bench opposite theirs. "What's going on?"

"I know as much as you do, Avatar Aang", the creepy woman said, smiling as always. "Long Feng is an important man with many demands on his time."

"Right", Toph said, blowing the bangs away from her face loudly before shoving an entire dumpling into her mouth. The look on Joo Dee's face almost made Katara giggle. She held it down with an effort. They were trying not to annoy the authorities today.


	30. The Day That Wouldn't End

The Day That Wouldn't End

Long Feng was unmarried or, as many said behind his back, was married to his work. He was childless and comfortable with the fact. Being no inbred noble, he required no heirs of his blood. The next Grand Secretariat could earn the office and its burdens just as he had. Long Feng had no regrets, no secret longing for the offspring he'd never sired. Of late, he'd had that regret-free status confirmed as he was surrounded by the demands of pushy and ill-mannered children.

Here were three more. Kyoshi Island was far off, far from the heart of the war. To travel as far as Ba Sing Se had been some distance and undoubtedly took some time. The girls had certainly had a number of chances to offer their skills to any general or lesser commander they wished.

They'd presented themselves at the city gates instead, as "friends of Avatar Aang", eager to meet the child monk again and to offer their services to King Kuei in person. _Certainly not,_ Long Feng thought, amazed at the presumption. _He doesn't know about the war. He doesn't need to know!_ Long Feng and the generals handled things. Their ruler, sheltered from the horrors outside all his life, would have no useful insights to offer.

The Avatar's original foursome caused quite enough disruption. This new triad? He didn't intend to let them inside the walls unless they'd come to take the air bender away with them. They were transported to the Lake Laogai base under escort by earth benders, making it clear that bending would be required for them to leave. They didn't seem worried, their guides' leader had reported. There was a chance one or more of them were benders. He decided that the interview would be held in a subterranean training room with concealed agents ready to act if needed. But first he made them wait.

He observed them for a while through a hole in the stone wall. The tall, dour girl concealed a number of weapons on her body, he judged. The small one with the braid, who bounced energetically even when relatively still, didn't appear to be armed at all. She was, however, exceedingly flexible and probably stronger than she looked. The third was the leader. Her body language screamed that fact.

When he stepped into the room, he turned immediately toward the small one, bowing slightly. "You've brought your Kyoshi Warriors a great distance. Well done. As I understand it, you've come to serve the Avatar?"

"We are the Avatar's allies", the real leader corrected, stepping forward. "We wish to meet with him."

"The Avatar ia a very important individual, miss", Long Feng told her, letting a hint of condescension creep into his tone. "He is under the Earth King's protection." He half turned to the other girl, whose eyes were wide and uneasy. "You ladies will have to answer a few questions before being allowed to see him. For his safety, you understand. The Avatar, for all his reported power, is a child as well as a guest. I have a duty to assure his safety."

"Um", the girl said, with a glance toward her leader, who took over immediately.

"We understand", she said briskly. "Ask whatever you want. We have nothing to hide."

He doubted that, but credited her with decent self-control. She seemed to know he'd been goading her.

He didn't separate them, but questioned all of them rather than just the leader, real or the one he'd picked to annoy her. When the girl tried to interrupt, to clarify one of the others' replies or, increasingly, just to assert herself, he cut her off and asked one of her companions another question instead. Her discipline was actually rather limited, he decided, even as he made it clear that a self-styled warrior from a backward island was being granted a rare privilege by being granted this meeting at all.

She was proud, even arrogant,and as he continued to question them her friends' discomfort grew. _Perhaps they're_ _subordinates more than friends,_ he thought _, burdened with a temperamental commander._ They weren't frightened of his position of power, nor that he was a powerful earth bender and they were trapped underground. Both were afraid of _her_.

Oh, they tried to conceal it, the tall one doing a better job than the little martial artist, but they were increasingly fearful of what the other girl might do. He noticed signs of her growing impatience: lips gone tight, tiny movements of her fingers as if she were restraining more intensive actions, her eyes narrowing.

Golden eyes, just a shade or two darker than the ones he'd seen just recently in a refugee's face, one who couldn't conceal his Fire Nation blood.

With a shift of position, Long Feng conveyed the subtlest of commands to his concealed Dai Li agents, then gave the golden eyed girl a disdainful smile as he asked, "Is it difficult being a mongrel?"

He didn't expect lightning.

Today, fortune favored the Dai Li. The stone cuffs his lieutenant launched must have contained enough traces of iron to serve as a lightning rod. They exploded under the electric onslaught, forcing the girls to dodge stone shards that the earth benders simply snatched control of to turn back on them again like primitive knives.

The girls were experienced in combat, skilled for all their youth, and seemed perfectly confident. A wicked smile touched the leader's lips even as she leaped away from the flying stone shards. The small, light-footed one was in dizzying motion, her strange but effective martial art almost like a dance. Her blows resembled playful taps, but she quickly brought down two agents careless enough to let her close. Even as Long Feng dodged a blast of blue fire, he noticed three of his agents trying an innovative use of their chain and shackle rigs to form a web around the martial artist. As he raised a wall to block more fire Qin Pu Lo engaged the bender, launching slices of stone to keep her on the move. She was given little chance to perfect her aim as she fought multiple moving targets. The girl didn't require much. She kicked a foot back, slashing fire across an agent's torso as he approached in what _should_ have been her blind spot. Even as he screamed, a comrade yanked the injured man back out of range.

Long Feng stifled his anger. He'd smelled burning flesh before. this fire bender, like the others who'd breached Ba Sing Se's walls, would regret ever having seen them. He'd see to it. He made tiny columns begin to rise and fall under the girl, the earth dancing like her companion's feet. She couldn't match the smaller girl's grace, not quite, though she fought well with her stance being repeatedly broken.

A knife almost clipped his ear, its trajectory ruined by a hailstorm of stones now racing toward its wielder. The tall, quiet one was indeed well armed, with more knives and needles than he'd ever imagined could be concealed on one body. He spotted four men down in her vicinity. Hoping they were wounded rather than dead, he managed to raise stone to trap her legs thigh deep before the fire bender attacked again to distract him.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that seemingly endless supply of weapons finally run out, allowing one of his agents to leap in to knock the weapons master out, smartly dodging her long, sharp nails when she twisted toward him. Wise decision. Long Feng wouldn't be surprised if they were tipped in poison.

The gold eyed leader snarled as her unconscious companion's hands were encased in stone. She spun, launching a burst of fire in a blue ring that threatened everybody in the room. The dancer leaped over the fiery ring but their trapped companion wasn't even aware of the danger as agents dodged upward or underground or raised earth shields to defend themselves. Long Feng took a moment to raise the stone around her higher, although he kept it hollow around the girl's face. Enough air should be trapped inside to last through the battle. It wasn't the easiest maneuver. If Qin Pu Lo hadn't distracted the fire bender again, her next attack might have killed Long Feng while he did it.

The young agent was keeping a clear head, fighting the talented young woman effectively though he'd never faced a fire bender before. Not consciously or in real life, anyway, though he and others like him had reenacted more experienced earth benders' battles with Fire Nation forces in dark little rooms in this very base. _They won't be unprepared when the Fire Nation comes again,_ Long Feng thought with pride.

A larger web of chains and stone began to form around the remaining pair despite the leader repeatedly blasting links with her fire. Qin Pu Lo must have scored a few blows. She was favoring her right arm, unable to lift it to shoulder height. A lock of hair slipped into her eyes and she blew the sweaty strands out of the way, contained fury in every line of her body.

A length of chain wrapped around the little dancer's body as she tried to run to her ally across some strands of the iron web. The graying agent wielding it summoned the stone cuffs it was attached to, yanking the girl roughly as she tried to wriggle free. With a pained cry she fell onto a crosshatch of metal and stone that quickly began to wrap her up. _Just like a real spider_ , Long Feng thought. _The benefits of a university education. Or his obsession with bugs._ _Well done either way._

A cruel smile graced the fire bender's face as she fell into a stance Long Feng recognized immediately. He raised a hand. When her lightning arced across the iron web, none of his agents was connected to it. Her young comrade, however, shrieked in agony.

The fire bender's face became a blank mask. As she raised her good arm stone caught her wrist, jerking it toward the other in a swift and efficient move that left both hands trapped. She raised her leg to blast flame at the Grand Secretariat. Even as he dodged, lengths of chain caught the leg from both sides. Efficient tugs twisted the limb and she howled with more outrage than pain as another tug sent her to the floor. She went wild.

"Release me! How dare you? I'll destroy all of you! Once I'm free this city will be the Earth Kingdom's greatest crematorium!" Spit flew from her lips as she raged, followed by a final burst of fire before Long Feng muzzled her with an earth bended gag. She continued to howl as her limbs were encased in stone but at least they weren't subjected to more of the girl's vitriol. Her gold eyes bulged in outrage, whites visible all around, until it seemed they'd pop right out of their sockets under the pressure of her contained fury.

"Sedatives all around, I think", Long Feng ordered calmly. "We'll need to activate a cold cell for the fire bender. Have our doctor tend to the others' injuries."

Cold cells were a Fire Nation invention. their answer to increasing unruliness and desertion attempts among their troops. The cells produced such icy cold that the fire bender had to use all of their strength just to stay alive. Long Feng's agreement with certain Fire Nation officers gave him access to a number of such useful things.

#########

They'd finished eating a while ago and gone back to irritating each other while Aang tried to meditate. When Long Feng and his aide finally walked back in, Katara couldn't help thinking, _They look awful._ Sokka stood up, already scowling, but Katara spoke before he could say anything. "Thank you for lunch. It was really good." _  
_

He blinked, almost giving her the impression he'd just noticed they were still there. "You're welcome." He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing them with a thumb and forefinger, before sighing and addressing the group. "Come into my office before something else ..."

The man who burst in was followed by an apologetic guard and it took a minute before Long Feng could get them both calm enough to actually talk to. He dismissed the guard, but the red-eyed disheveled man still didn't make a lot of sense. Long Feng seemed to get it, though. "Ming Ma's asking for you. I told her you were busy but she begged me to come. He wouldn't breathe. They tried, but..." The man trailed off into sobs.

Something worse than tiredness was in the Grand Secretariat's face as he drew the man away, resting his hand on the other man's shoulder. The rest of their talk was too quiet for their accidental audience to hear, except Toph, whose surprise softened to something else as he turned back to them. "I must apologize. This is..."

"Everything's so important...!" Sokka snapped.

Toph cut him off. "Shut it, the man's got someone who needs him. Go on", she ordered Long Feng. "We'll see ourselves out."

Long Feng looked grateful, if surprised, as he bowed before hurrying out with the other man. "Let's go guys. He's not coming back today", Toph said, standing and stretching.

"How do you know?" Aang asked.

"That was his niece's husband. She just had a baby, only it didn't make it."

"That poor woman", Katara said. "Toph's right, guys. We can come back."

The four of them returned home, their conversation repeatedly swinging back to what a waste of an afternoon it had been. Katara's thoughts, though, kept drifting back to the revelation that, for one person at least, Long Feng was an irreplaceable source of comfort.

 _There are things he cares about, too. If we can make him understand that Ba Sing Se isn't really safe until the war is over, that his niece-Ming Ma? isn't safe, maybe we can get him to act, after all._


	31. Plans

Plans

Zuko rarely saw Longshot twice in one day but, learning that Smellerbee was finally home, he'd decided to stop at their apartment early that morning to make a celebratory breakfast. While he was relieved Katara had healed Smellerbee, being unable to check on her until now had frustrated him. Making sure she had something nutritious to speed her recovery let him fuss over her without getting smacked. Tiny as she was, Smellerbee was _tough,_ and a lot stronger than she looked. He was sure he could handle any blow she struck, but what if her wound tore open?

Fond as the Freedom Fighters had grown of cart food, they seemed to appreciate his efforts, although he was pretty sure they exaggerated about how good it was. (Although, he remembered with a pang, the Watch were willing to pay him to cook for them.) They'd had a chance to exchange news, but he hadn't mentioned Uncle Iroh's plans to open a tea shop. It didn't matter. His friends needed him and he'd find ways to be here when he had to be. They didn't talk too much about the Movement yet. It was a celebration, after all.

He'd started a crock pot on their hearth before he left. Smellerbee gave him a scornful look when he tried to advise her on how high the fire should be allowed to get. _Right. They've been cooking all their lives,_ he thought. She shrugged off his apology with a gentle (for her) tap on the skull. The boys then headed out for work, Jet and Longshot walking part way with him until they had to veer off for the train station and print shop respectively.

Uncle Iroh had set off early, too, because it was the day he'd demanded off earlier in the month. He hadn't discussed his plans to honor Lu Ten's memory, but clearly didn't intend to lock himself in the apartment all day, which Zuko took as a good sign even if he did still prefer to be alone. After work, Zuko picked up a packet of paint samples and fabric swatches his uncle had requested from a Middle Ring shop. Spotting Longshot at the train station, Zuko grabbed a seat beside him on the bench, glad of a familiar face. People in this part of the city tended to stare, appalled by his ugly scar. Stares like that were one of many reasons he'd resented leaving his ship for the frivolous shopping trips his uncle so enjoyed.

The dark eyed teen gave him a comfortable nod and the slightest smile. There was an empty canvas sack beside him with sturdy straps sewn on it.

"Deliveries?" he guessed.

Longshot nodded.

"That's got to get heavy."

He nodded again with a slight grimace, shifting his shoulders.

"They _have_ noticed you're not a pack animal, right? I know you don't talk but you don't cluck, either."

Longshot rarely laughed but had one of those amazing smiles that transformed his sober face. Zuko always felt proud when he drew one out. He could feel himself grinning back widely.

"I'll have to get used to the train", he said impulsively. "Uncle's going to open a tea shop in the Central Ring. There's an apartment over the place he picked. A little terrace. Some plants. It's nice, but that means I'll have to come back down here to see you all. I'm not sure yet how often I'll be able to manage it."

Longshot raised a brow, tipping his head subtly in the direction of a pair of patrolling City Watchmen.

"Jet told you guys, huh? Yes, they did offer me a job", Zuko replied, trying to sound disinterested. A shift of Longshot's position on the bench made him continue. "Sure, I'd have liked to do it but starting a new business is a lot of work. My uncle's going to need me."

"He does!" Zuko insisted, responding to the concerned expression on Longshot's face. "I owe him too much to run out on him now! He's always stood by me no matter how angry or ungrateful I was towards him. Maybe in a year or two, when the shop's established, I can do something else."

"I know, I know", he went on, part of him wondering, _How does he hold an entire conversation without actually talking? How is it so easy to understand what he means?_ "I deserve to make my own life, too. He'd want me to do whatever makes me happy. He'd be thrilled to see me happy for a change!" He shrugged, looking down at his hands, folded in his lap. "I know this offer from the Watch won't be there in a year but I can find something else. This is Uncle's chance to have something _he_ wants. He deserves it. Nobody deserves it more." _  
_

The train pulled in and they boarded. They didn't talk. It was a busy trip, the carriage full of workers headed home for the night. Confiding in someone was hard enough without an audience.

By unspoken agreement, Zuko walked Longshot back to the print shop to turn in the empty delivery pack, then back to the apartment he shared with the others.

"It doesn't seem fair, does it?" Zuko asked as they took an alley shortcut and turned onto Longshot's narrow street. "I've got more chances than I want. Smellerbee's not working at all right now and I know that worries her. The doctor's not pushy but she will expect to be paid. I've been worried about that myself", he admitted, voice softening. "I don't want Smellerbee working for just anyone, do you? She hates seeming weak and she'll push herself, but she's not fully recovered. She needs time and someone who won't push her. Someone who'll actually want to help her heal."

Longshot was eying him with interest, maybe even a hint of excitement.

"So you think she'd do it? We could split the work, at least until she's stronger. Hui said I didn't have to be there every day! Waiting tables is tiring but it's not like lifting crates or delivering heavy packages. And she _hated_ the factory."

Longshot's grin was definitely excited, not amused this time. If anything, Zuko's own felt even wider. "Should I wait to ask her or...?"

The strong hand hauling him toward the front steps was all the answer he needed.

"Serving tea?" Smellerbee said doubtfully when Zuko told her about his uncle's plans and offered her a job. "What if I spill it?"

"You apologize, wipe the mess up and get more", Zuko replied, shrugging. "And you've got good balance. My uncle won't load you down with trays, anyway. He wants The Jasmine Dragon to be classy. Well, he said elegant but it's really the same thing."

"What if he doesn't want me there? It's supposed to be a family business, isn't it?"

"He should've thought of that when he picked the site. It's lots bigger than Pao's, has room for lots of tables. One server won't be enough, not once the tea snobs get talking, which they will. You saw what happened at Pao's and he barely keeps the place clean! Once Mushi has his own place, that's where they'll go. Plus it's the Central Ring. We might get University students and workers, but we'll also be getting upper class ladies with time on their hands cause they've got staff for the housework and nannies for the kids. The first visit might be curiosity, but Uncle's _good_ at ladies. He'll charm them so they'll want to come back."

"Mushi's a ladies' man, huh?" Jet said, coming in the door. His amusement faded fast. "Why didn't you tell me you were moving to the Central Ring?"

"I kept putting it off", Zuko admitted with an embarrassed smile. "Uncle got the offer and stuff happened so fast. And I didn't want to go. He needs me but so do you guys. I had to figure out how to manage things and I was feeling kind of stuck but then Longshot had an idea..." the archer snorted, "fine, maybe it was both our idea. Smellerbee needs a job soon. My uncle's not the kind of man who'd push her too hard while she's recovering. She and I can both do half shifts and I can work a few days at the barracks, too."

"What do you think, Bee?" Jet asked.

"It sounds good. Mushi might not think I'm classy enough, though."

"If I can work there, you can", Zuko said firmly. "My face is gross and your manners are better than mine. It'll work out."

Longshot snickered and Jet scowled at him. "What'd I say?"

"It's not as bad as you think", Smellerbee assured him. "Remember that girl Jin asked _you_ out. And don't forget Jet."

Zuko felt his face heat up. When he noticed that Jet was blushing too the embarrassment suddenly felt worthwhile. He laughed. "I'd better get home before he starts to worry. He's going to want these swatches."

He brandished the fabric samples at his friends as he walked out the door, then shifted one square to the top of the pile, thinking, _This one. That shade'll look good on her. I just have to get Uncle Iroh to pick it._

Iroh was a little somber when he came home, but not as grim as this day frequently left him. Zuko could see from his reddened eyes that he'd been crying, but he was only quiet as they ate dinner, not withdrawn. He lacked his usual hearty appetite, but he did eat, Zuko noticed with relief. "I got your package today, Uncle. We can look the samples over tomorrow, if you want."

"No, I believe I would like to see them now, nephew", he said brightening a little. He thanked Zuko as he accepted the package.

"That green fabric on top was my favorite", Zuko said, then started cleaning up their dishes to give him a few minutes to look for himself.

"Are you finally taking an interest in The Jasmine Dragon, nephew?" Iroh asked, sounding pleased.

"I want it to succeed, Uncle. You believe that, right?" Zuko replied, taking a deep breath. _Maybe I should wait to tell him the part about the Watch barracks._ "Because I offered Smellerbee a job."

His uncle expressed doubts. He wasn't sure the little tomboy from the ferry would fit in at the tea shop as he envisioned it.

"People don't come to Pao's because you're class, Uncle", Zuko said, turning to face him. He dried his hands as he continued. "It's the way you make them feel welcome and how glad you are that they enjoy your tea. If all someone wants is expensive decor and fancy dress, anyplace in that part of the city will do. I know the shop will be beautiful. The service will be gracious. That's because The Jasmine Dragon will reflect its owner. I'll do everything I can to help, I promise. And Smellerbee can, too. She learns fast. Her manners are good. The rest will just be training and I'll help with that. There's time. We aren't opening tomorrow. You haven't even chosen the wall color yet!"

His uncle's face had reddened. Zuko wasn't sure why. A few minutes passed, then Iroh said thoughtfully, "You believe in her, don't you, nephew?"

"Of course. She's smart, reliable and she'll work too hard for her own good if you let her. She needs a job and we'd be stupid to not grab her before some other place does." He knew the kind of female servers Uncle probably envisioned. Pretty, dainty, prone to giggling at Uncle's jokes. Ordinary girls who wouldn't be fun to be around, not for Zuko, at least. And would they bring their brains to work? If Smellerbee noticed a problem or had an idea, she'd say so.

He didn't intend to tell his Uncle how out of place he'd felt during his trip to the Middle Ring today. The Central Ring had even fewer refugees and he had a nasty feeling he'd be attracting lots of uncomfortable stares. _I'll probably be doing a lot of the dishes,_ he thought. Smellerbee wasn't a doll-like beauty but she was outgoing and friendly enough that customers would like her. And if he did get the repulsed looks he dreaded, he really might need the presence of a friend.

"It is a new shop. We will need time to become established. I fear we might regret the expense of unnecessary staff", Iroh said, but Zuko suspected he was being tested.

He responded, "Ha! You know the floor plan better than I do! It'll take at least three servers on a busy day and there will be _lots_ of busy days."

Zuko reminded his uncle that Mushi was already a respected name. People didn't go to Pao's drab little shop for the decor. The place had only gotten really popular since Mushi showed up. Some customers would follow where he went. Newer customers will have heard of him. "We've had customers from the Central Ring at Pao's. They'll all want to be the first one to show you off to their friends. You know how rich ladies love their status games! And they'll be able to brag about how they helped "discover" you and now you've got a place worthy of your gifts."

Uncle seemed both pleased and taken aback by Zuko's assessment, which Zuko didn't get. He'd put a lot of thought into it and studied their probable future customers intently. He recalled his childhood at court and remembered what the aristocratic women had been like. The wealthy women of Ba Sing Se weren't really different. As to his uncle, he'd watched him for years. He wasn't just great at tea. He was great with people.

Iroh finally agreed to give Smellerbee a chance, if she did well in her training, but that meant he wanted to order designs for both male and female serving staff. Zuko put his foot down.

"A skirt? Are you kidding? A simple, classic tunic and pants with an apron over it. That should work for every server. And skirts are a pain in tight spaces. You'll making work just that bit harder for any woman you hire."

When Iroh gave in he didn't even look disappointed. With a smile he gestured at the low burning lamp over their table and said, "Look how long we have been talking! I am pleased that you are taking so much interest, nephew, but I believe it is past time we both went to bed. We have work in the morning."

Rising and quickly putting the samples away, Zuko agreed. "You're right, Uncle, it's late. We have more to discuss tomorrow, though."

He told Iroh about the job offer from the Watch over breakfast, playing down his own desire to accept it. "They're short-staffed because some idiot gave his entire barracks food poisoning. You know how kind they've been to me. If I can help them I feel as if I should, just to repay some of the debt I owe them. I can do shifts at The Jasmine Dragon in the afternoon, after I've seen to breakfast at the barracks. I'll stagger the cleaning, one floor each day. That's still more than the light duty officer can manage. So, what do you think?"

"If you accept this offer, you need not work at the tea shop as well", Iroh replied.

"What?" Zuko studied his face for traces of anger. "I'm not abandoning you, I promise!"

Iroh's expression softened in an affectionate smile. "I am well aware of that, Prince Zuko. You want to do this and you should pursue your desires. I have always wished for you to be happy. Cooking for others appears to bring you the same pleasure making them tea does for me."

"I'm not that good", Zuko muttered, looking away. "You're amazing at tea. Everyone knows that."

"Perhaps you have yet to master your own art, but the skill you do have is clearly appreciated."

 _Cooking's not an art. That's not, it's just feeding people!_ Zuko thought, _but Jet and the others do like it. So do the guards._ "Half a week at each", he said. "At least until The Jasmine Dragon is established. I do need to train Smellerbee and whoever else you hire."

"As you wish", Iroh finally agreed, beaming.

############

At lunch, he told Jet that his uncle had agreed to their plan. That, as usual, Iroh seemed to understand him better than he did himself.

"Course he does", Jet said. "I think he _and_ Longshot were some kind of sages in a past life."

"I know! And Longshot doesn't even talk! How do you give advice without saying any actual words?"

Laughing and feeling both felt great, Zuko decided. Now they just had to get rid of his friends' unwanted burden. Sitting closer to Jet, he asked quietly, "So, who owns that warehouse they want to rob?"

Jet told him everything he knew about the intended crime. Zuko would have a few days to get a look at the place and act. _Early to bed tonight_ , he decided. _Doctor Naj La won't like it if I make myself sick again._


	32. Discussions

Discussions

The prisoners had been searched by specially trained Joo Dees, their Kyoshi Island dresses and armor exchanged for greenish gray tunics and trousers. Drugs were administered to the young fire bender to prevent the use of her bending. Long Feng was unhappy doing that. They were for use on adults and untested on anybody so young. She seemed well enough when he entered her cell, but angry.

Before leaving his superior alone in the cell with her, Long Feng's aide set down the stool he'd carried inside. Long Feng sat, putting himself at eye level with the girl. Shackles bound her wrists and ankles, the leg irons also attaching her to the wall. All three girls had already proven their fighting skill.

Seated on the cot, she had to look up a little to meet her captor's eyes. She did so without a hint of fear. Instead, the child looked utterly contemptuous, lips drawn tight in a way that, if it were habit, would end up ruining her prettiness with scowl lines.

"Good morning", he said. "I have to ask you some questions. "Shall we begin?"

"You are going to pay for this", she said with cold assurance. "I am going to make you regret ever setting eyes on me."

"That frown is a good place to start", Long Feng replied. "It's most unbecoming in a young lady."

She stiffened and glared, skipping right past offense to outrage, " _What_ did you say?"

Spoiled, almost certainly noble born. Children like this were the reason he'd paid particular attention to King Kuei's playmates while he was a child. This sort of companion could have ruined the shy and bookish boy's temperament. He shrugged the observation off. This Fire Nation girl was unpleasant. She was not, he concluded as he questioned her, a trained spy, although she clearly believed herself clever enough, more clever than her captor by far. She kept trying to turn Long Feng's questions around to gain information from him instead. When she eventually decided to appear to give in, the charm that replaced her hostility was brittle and false to his experienced eye. However, he played along for a bit, offering a degree of sympathy through body language alone, leaning forward with his hands folded into his lap as if to seem less threatening.

She was a fine little actress, seeming to grow more vulnerable and confiding as the lies slid past her pale lips. "We really did come from Kyoshi Island", she claimed earnestly.

"Your bending clearly isn't self taught. How did you come to be there?"

Lowering her deep gold eyes, feigning deep sorrow and shame, she said, "It's the war. I don't believe it's right. I want to help the Avatar to end it."

If he hadn't seen the cruel smile she'd worn in battle he might have been tempted to believe her. Instead he straightened on his seat, raised his hands and slowly, mockingly, applauded her performance. "The stage has lost a truly gifted artist", he said drily. "I fear our future talks must be more structured if anything is to come of them. I do apologize."

Her eyes all but sparked in fury. "How dare you? Are you calling me a liar? I've bared my soul!"

"You're lying through your teeth, girl", Long Feng replied coldly as he stood. "I've been dealing with spies since before you were born. You aren't even close to the best I've encountered. Good day." He turned and left, ignoring her cry of outrage.

He gave himself time between questioning the Fire Nation prisoners, never happy to be threatening someone so young but knowing his duty demanded it. He worked in his office the rest of the morning, making himself available to his subordinates and catching up on reading reports. He took a brief lunch, eating as he walked to go interview the young weapons mistress.

Like her companion, she'd been dressed in a plain tunic and pants. The fire bender had worn hers like the finest silk robes. The black-haired girl, in contrast, seemed to feel naked, her body language tense and uneasy. _How long has she been wearing her armory?_ Long Feng wondered. _She and the others are barely of marriageable age. Is the Fire Lord's court really that cutthroat?_

It wasn't unimaginable, he was forced to admit. In the days of the previous Earth King, noble families had hired bodyguards as frequently as nannies for their offspring. Besides private feuds and business rivals, the king himself had been known to take "hostages" to persuade recalcitrant parents to see things his way. Or at least to act as he required.

 _The Fire nobles turn the children into their own protectors instead,_ he thought, noting that this young girl already carried herself like a captured soldier. She remained stubbornly silent, looking past Long Feng's shoulder rather than meet his eyes. When he hinted that the interview was producing unsatisfactory results, her muscles tensed almost but not quite imperceptibly. Her pale features were as unreadable as when they'd been masked by cosmetics, but she was certainly hiding fear beneath her mute stoicism.

He rose, summoning his aide with a knock to collect the stool as he exited. Long Feng paused in the door to offer the tall girl a slight bow. When her confused gaze twitched toward him, he told her, "I respect your courage, miss. I hope you'll prove willing to speak the next time we meet." Again, he retreated to his office and work to regain his focus.

There was a meeting with several people affected by the Avatar's visit to establish fair compensation. The delivery service displaced to house his bison was currently dispersed to spaces rented from other businesses, while the owner had rented a second story office above a print shop. She'd had to hire runners to maintain communication with her scattered employees. Hardly an ideal situation, Long Feng had to agree. For the amount of time Aang remained in the city, the Grand Secretariat offered her an allowance to cover the additional expenses she was incurring. When he and his companions finally left, the city would pay any reasonable expenses necessary to repair her property so that normal business could resume. She accepted his proposal, though she wasn't happy that he asked her to share her records with a city accountant to establish a reasonable allowance.

Then there were the land owners whose grazing or crops were destroyed for the enlarged zoo. The place was already very popular with Outer Ring residents. Long Feng had decided not to antagonize the population by razing it and forcing the animals back to their unpleasant former home. Having the fine new zoo nearby seemed to give them a source of local pride. The Grand Secretariat fully believed his decision to be pragmatic, but simply declared his decision. Explaining his insight as an Outer Ring born wasn't possible, he'd long ago concluded. Those with established positions from birth or wealth wouldn't really understand pride in the small things that made one's neighborhood special.

They were paid too little in their opinions, too much in Long Feng's, which meant it was close to equitable. Two declared that they'd be leaving Ba Sing Se, having property elsewhere that wasn't likely to be confiscated by random nomads, and he politely wished them luck with their future endeavors while ignoring the gibe. The third, city brat to the bone, grinned as they left and asked, "Can I have the zoo? The old one? And can I borrow some earth benders?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I've been researching improved crop yields in limited acreage. If I get that property I can test how well it really works. It's all about making the soil work with you."

Long Feng was soon persuaded, though he told the man to hire labor because the Dai Li had quite enough work already. He did agree to a loan from the city to get the project started. The ambitious farmer was beaming when he left Long Feng's office, an event rare enough that his unflappable aide raised his brows curiously. "I expect you'll find out soon", his superior told him, knowing how like a small town Ba Sing Se's gossip network ran.

He went to the palace's vast kitchen. Since he intended to visit Ming Ma today, he'd bought some sweets to tempt her almost nonexistent appetite and put them in the ice box to keep fresh. Unfortunately, the king's bear had found his way there first. Long Feng stared at the mess of mostly consumed food scattered across the floor and fought an urge to sink the fat brute neck deep into the stone. The only staff in the room were two young women cowering in a corner, too terrified to move. He raised a wall between them and the animal so they could flee. Long Feng did not tell them that Bosco was completely safe. As a wild animal in a domestic setting, undisciplined and spoiled by his master, the bear was distinctly _not_ safe, certainly not to strangers. Throwing the creature a leg of half-gnawed meat, he caged the bear while it ate. "Send for His Majesty", he said, holding his voice steady only from long practice. He'd spotted the remains of his niece's gift, a ragged shred of striped ribbon that had adorned the box.

He reminded himself, not for the first time, that Kuei was, at least technically, his ruler and an adult. Then he proceeded to remind the king that his pet did not belong in this part of the palace. There were too many unfamiliar faces to disturb the animal and he didn't need to forage for food.

"I don't want to discourage his animal instincts", Kuei countered, pausing to clean his glasses with a sleeve.

"In this matter you have to. Most of the servants have little experience with animals, none with something Bosco's size. If he becomes frightened or aggressive enough to maul someone it will be you to blame, not him, but Bosco will be the one put down. You do understand that, don't you?"

"But Bosco needs to express his animal nature", the king said uncertainly.

"Ba Sing Se has laws in place to protect the public, laws you yourself supported when they were proposed."

"I won't allow anyone to hurt Bosco!"

"So the king places himself above the law", Long Feng said, allowing disappointment to creep into his voice. "Are there differing levels of justice now, Your Majesty?"

"No! Of course not", Kuei cried. "Maybe if the Dai Li were to eliminate the entrances Bosco uses, he won't come to this part of the palace."

Contemplating the loss of safety and efficiency removing major doorways might cause gave Long Feng the beginnings of a headache. "I'll need to discuss the effect of any changes with an architect", he said.

Kuei smiled, collecting his bear and dismissing Long Feng regally, just as if something had actually been settled.

Trying to win the trust of a Fire Nation prisoner seemed much less trying after time spent with the Earth King. After his visit with Ming Ma, still bedridden and depressed, he doubted whatever pity he might feel for the young spies could hope to compare to the grief that her misery caused him.

He went to see the third prisoner. The abrasions and bruising were minor injuries, he reminded himself when he saw the smallest spy again. The worst of her injuries had, in fact, been caused by her apparent leader. Her wide, grave eyes studied him intently as he seated himself on the stool. Before he could address her, she spoke.

"Where are my friends?" Either she was a brilliant actress or her tearful eyes were as genuine as they looked. Her lower lip looked sore from being chewed.

"In their own cells, just as you are", he replied, keeping his voice inexpressive.

"Are they all right?"

"Such concern. That fire bender nearly killed you. She showed little regard for your comrade's safety as well."

"Az-She has to be ruthless. A leader does whatever they have to to complete their mission." There was a hint of dread behind those words, as if she suspected her leader would indeed do anything, even horrible things, to reach her goals.

 _No,_ he thought, _this girl is no actress, nor a stoic warrior._ "Sometimes a leader must make sacrifices", he affirmed, "but the goal must be worth the cost. Your commander chose to make an entrance rather than avoid notice. She allowed herself to be goaded into an attack and put your lives at risk, not to attain your goal but to avenge her ego. Her recklessness and brutality endangered you, her allies, more than it did me or my men.

The girl lowered her head. He noticed that she was gnawing her lip again. "She can't seem weak", the girl finally whispered.

A sketch flashed across Long Feng's memory, a young boy's face half lost in bandages. _Impossible,_ he told himself. _The Fire Lord was monster enough to scar and discard his firstborn. He can't be mad enough to risk his only remaining heir. She was outside the walls,_ he reminded himself, _with two female warriors as well as regular troops, not long ago. We have the drill to prove it._

"Did Fire Lord Ozai command the princess to infiltrate Ba Sing Se?" he asked bluntly.

"We came for the Avatar", she admitted, looking up at him. "I don't think the Fire Lord knows we're at Ba Sing Se." She winced, realizing what she'd just confirmed.

"Thank you", he said, choosing his words with care. "I can hardly treat a royal prisoner like a common spy. Traditionally, spies aren't even accorded the respect due an enemy combatant. They're simply killed like vermin."

Her frightened eyes met his, her body twitching in the shackles as if she wanted to fight or flee. "But she is the princess", he went on. "You and your friend are what, her assistants? Bodyguards?"

"We're her friends", the girl said, but she seemed to doubt the truth of her own words.

"Of course", he said, pretending to believe. He rose and stepped back, addressing her in a gentle tone. "I have decisions to make based on this new information. Please forgive my abrupt departure."

"Of, of course", she replied uncertainly. "You won't hurt Azula, will you?"

"I have no wish to hurt any child", he assured her.


	33. Just A Prankster

The importers' warehouse was the size of a factory, windowless, and had eight fit, alert looking guards patrolling in pairs. _Those guys aren't here to scare the other workers_ , Zuko thought. _The owner's serious about protecting his investment._ Staying low, he crept through shadows cast by nearby buildings, pausing to watch two pairs of guards identify each other before continuing their patrols. He dashed silently through the momentary opening behind the four men's backs, glad the warehouse had no animal guards. While he'd chosen not to blame his friends for the debacle at Mu Ying's factory, he didn't want to see it repeated.

The building exterior was wood. Upon examining the surface, Zuko decided he could manage the climb and scurried upward quickly. Midway up, he noticed guards turning towards him again but he was overhead and they failed to notice. People usually did. Reaching the peaked roof, he took a moment to lie flat on the edge and catch his breath. The guards below continued their patrol, giving no sign that they suspected his presence.

There were no openings in the shingled roof. Crawling to the high peak, he found the other side to be identical, but he'd spotted what appeared to be air vents when he scouted the building from afar. They were just below the roof on either end of the windowless warehouse. From above, the opening appeared to be a tight fit, but Zuko believed it to be a usable way in. If he couldn't enter, he'd leave enough visible signs of his attempt to alert the guards. Increased security at their target might disrupt the Movement's plans until he could free his friends from the blackmailing siblings.

Adjusting the soft black mask to ensure his vision stayed clear, Zuko removed a heavy screw from the pouch at his waist and gave it a couple of twists into the roof beam. Pulling out a screwdriver, he tightened the screw to be sure it would be set deep enough to hold his weight. Knowing never to trust in luck, he repeated the process twice more before uncoiling a length of climbing rope from around his waist and weaving the end among the three screws before tying it off securely. Slipping a loop around his hips, he surveyed the still unaware guards again before climbing down.

The vent cover was bronze, which might not be as strong as steel but did resist weather better. The former prince recalled all too well the crew's near endless battle with rust during his years at sea. Pulling out the screwdriver again, he rested his feet against the wall and removed the vent's screws, placing each in his pouch as he finished. The vent cover barely shifted as he removed the last one and Zuko carefully tugged it off. _Your workmanship's a little too good,_ Zuko imagined telling the warehouse's owner. _If the vent weren't inset it would have swung on that last screw and made some noise. You don't want thieves to have it easy, do you?_ He carried the cover back up to the roof, double-checked his screws and cord, then laid the grate over them and climbed back down. Slipping in feet first, he paused to shift the tool pouch to his wrist before sliding the rest of the way in. It was too small for crawling but he had enough leverage to wriggle along the shaft. The Dai Li vents had been much more spacious, but he appreciated that this one wasn't full of bugs and debris. A few feet in, the smooth metal opened into a grid again to let air circulate but it still felt strong beneath his body.

He was starting to worry. Misfortune was due to strike: he and Jet were still friends, Uncle was pleased to support his taking the job at the barracks, Gan had asked again if he'd like to train together so of course he'd said yes, and he'd encountered the Avatar's water bender several times without getting caught! (Since she hadn't seen his face, being thrown into a wall by her didn't count as bad luck.)

There were tall stacks below, mostly crates, although he he spotted some rolls of exotic furs and bolts of fabric, some heavy and patterned enough that he assumed they were carpets. These were all lying on canvas with tarps over them but he could glimpse the contents through gaps in the canvas. _Some of those rugs are Fire Nation weaves,_ he noted _. The colors aren't traditional, not for us or the Earth Kingdom. Is someone trading with the colonies?_

That day he'd visited the bazaar with Jet, Zuko had confiscated a pouch of excellent quality tools from the young thief he'd stopped, knowing the guy had no legitimate use for them. Now he pulled a saw, its blade no longer than his hand, from his pouch and began to cut the grate so he could explore below. He made sure the hole would be bigger than he expected to need, all too vividly imagining his legs dangling and kicking in plain sight the next morning because his chest had gotten stuck in a "good enough" hole. He pulled the rough square inside when he finished. The guards would be sure to investigate any mysterious clangs they might hear inside the building they protected. _I_ _should've brought more cord,_ he thought, eying the nearest stack of crates. He had no doubt he could swing across, but leap the distance? _Ty Lee could have done it,_ he thought, recalling his childhood companion. _She'd have made it look easy, too, with a great big smile and a bow._ While he'd kept up with her pretty well when they were kids, Zuko knew he'd have to settle for the most physically taxing option, dangling below the grid, gripping it and edging his way toward the tower. He lowered himself and began to hand walk his way along the grate slowly. Working his fingers into the holes, grasping tightly with all his weight depending on the from the one arm while he reached forward to secure his next grip, became uncomfortable really quickly. Zuko was glad for all the wall climbing and shimmying along ropes he'd done over the last few years because he needed every bit of upper body strength he had. Although his hands were growing sore, Zuko passed the halfway mark and was certain he could make the drop onto the crates at the end. Maybe he wouldn't be having any trouble tonight, after all.

A door banged open below. He went still, breathed quietly and listened. The warehouse was dark and the guards were unlikely to look up. They hadn't outside. He'd noticed that the Dai Li actually did, most likely because they acted from above so often themselves. The men below were nowhere near the earth benders' match, though.

"I ask you, where has the Avatar _really_ been all this time?" the taller of the pair who entered was saying as they shut the door behind them.

His companion, shorter and heavily framed, sounded tired as he replied. "They say he was in an iceberg."

"They _say_ it, but you and I both know that's crazy! People freeze _to death_ , they don't just take a decades' long nap!" He waved his hands around wildly to emphasize his point.

His partner sighed. "He's the Avatar."

"Avatars die! That's how you get a new one!" He interrupted himself to knock on a crate and peer at the stack it was part of curiously. "What does Kyoshi Island have to trade? I mean, that anyone else would even want? They have fish, but we already have fish. Do we trade fish back and forth?"

The other actually gave this some thought. "They have fans."

"Fans?" The tall, loud one said scornfully.

"They worship Avatar Kyoshi. Something like that."

"Why fans, then? Kyoshi wasn't an air bender!"

 _Of course she was, she was an Avatar!_ Zuko managed not to shout, then wondered why he was even listening to this conversation. _I need to get moving,_ he decided. His sore hands were becoming dangerously slick with sweat, though, so he risked fire bending just enough to dry the skin. He bit back a groan of relief as the heat also soothed the painful hand muscles and he circulated the heat through his arms and shoulders as well. _I have got to remember this trick.  
_

The discussion below went on. "Never mind Kyoshi," the tall one said impatiently. "We're talking about the new Avatar. We can both agree that he wasn't cuddling his magic buffalo..."

"Sky bison," his companion corrected.

"...in any iceberg," the first finished, unperturbed. "He must've been in the Spirit World all this time learning all sorts of secret spirit lore!"

"Spirit lore?"

" _And_ because he's got all this mystical secret lore he'll be the most powerful Avatar ever! Only he's what, ten physically? He needs a protector until he's grown, so he brought the Blue Spirit back with him!"

 _I'm the kid's bodyguard?_ Zuko thought incredulously. _The stories just keep getting crazier!_

"He's got those Water Tribe kids..." the other started to say. His companion scoffed.

"I saw them at the market once. The boy's voice hasn't finished changing! It cracks all the time when he talks!"

 _And?_ Zuko thought. _I could beat at least one grown opponent at his age!_ (All of a year or so ago, he winced to realize.) He was actually irked by the man's dismissal of the pair, who'd developed their skills phenomenally since leaving their tiny village. _Because you were hunting them every minute,_ the nastily truthful voice of his conscience reminded him. He was almost relieved by the distracting talk below.

"So these children, and the blind one's no older than the Avatar _looks,_ need the Blue Spirit to protect them while they're out there showing the world that the Avatar's returned."

"You may be right that he's protecting the Avatar," came the sober response,"but the Blue Spirit's human."

 _Oh, thank the spirits not everyone in this city is crazy._ Zuko chanced moving forward as quietly as he could but froze, carefully gripping with both hands as the man continued, "He's been working for years to overthrow the Fire Lord. He leads a secret resistance group that wants to end the war."

 _I take it back. This guy's crazier than the other one!_ Zuko thought, unbelieving. He felt his mouth hanging open and shut it.

"Why is it a secret? The whole Earth Kingdom's fighting! Well, not here, but you know."

"They have to stay hidden," the shorter one said, voice lowering dramatically despite the empty warehouse. "They're the Air Nomads that survived the massacre."

 _WHAT?_

The taller guard echoed his thought, sounding awestruck as he added, "You mean they didn't all die?"

"The Blue Spirit never kills," the other went on. "He's faced the evillest, most corrupt people in the Fire Nation and he hasn't killed anyone. Air Nomads are pacifists, so he must have some kind of dispensation to be a warrior, but that's it. No killing. It's not their way."

"And Avatar Aang is one of their own. Of course they look out for him. Did they know he was coming back? Were they expecting him? Preparing?"

The short one gave him an impressed look. "Probably. That would explain why the Blue Spirit started acting openly these last few years."

"And he's definitely not a spirit? With the way he appears and disappears...and he took on all the Dai Li at once when he brought the Avatar's buffalo to Be Sing Se!"

Zuko started moving, almost not caring if he was seen. He'd heard the spirit rumor. It was almost funny. This new story wasn't just crazy. It upset him. He could almost imagine a hidden temple full of air benders himself, plotting to end their opponents' violence so they could step out into the open again and reclaim the skies that were their birthright. A free nation that hadn't abandoned their principles as they sought to survive.

 _It's beautiful,_ he thought, eyes blurring, _but I've seen the temples. I know better. And if anyone ever tells the kid this fairy tale..._ The Avatar's face lighting up with hope that could only be shattered would ruin his sleep tonight. He just knew it. He barely noticed the men leave as he fought to contain his hitching breaths. Crying for the enemy would only make him a hypocrite.

He wasn't as nervous as he should have been when he dropped onto the uneven top boxes of the tower. While he'd jumped further before, there was usually space enough to roll to lessen the impact. He staggered a bit on landing, the impact a welcome shock to his entire body. It cleared his head so he could remind himself he had a purpose here. He climbed down.

A survey of the towers revealed that while most were sorted by place of origin, several were mixed and had a tally sheet nailed to one of the boxes. For the sorted fabric and rugs, the sheet was pinned to the tarp that covered them. The sorted stacks were also closest to the wide sliding door that likely allowed access for delivery wagons. Most items would be brought to fine shops or auction houses, but a few smaller orders were purchases to be delivered to people's homes.

Since he'd learned nothing bad about the importers, Zuko didn't want to cause them too much difficulty. He had no intention of stealing anything, either. Still, his visit had to be noticeable after he left. One nice thing about his other alternate persona. The Blue Spirit was apparently seen as a warrior with a cause (Most of his activities had been serious. People tended to forget that he'd stolen half of Zhao's shoes the first time he'd worn the mask. One from each pair.). He was boldly visible even if some seemed to believe he wasn't human. The Shadow Man? Despite the violence (and claims of attempted theft) from his first appearance, he was mainly seen humorously, as a clever prankster.

There was a basket of colored chalks on a tiny desk beside the door. He went to the towers of unsorted crates and began checking for relatively light ones. Dragging them along the floor would make too much noise. Stacking and shifting the ones he chose, labeling each with chalk as he went, Zuko created yet another tower, more compact than the others but with a defined shape. He only hoped it would be obvious. Square blocks weren't the best way to create rounded forms. Still, he was fairly satisfied as he climbed to the top to place two small boxes beside one another but with space between. Glancing around as his feet touched the floor, he gave in to a sudden whim and took a long sheet of tally paper, rolling it into a cylinder and folding the ends together so it would keep its shape. Then he climbed the tower one last time, placing the cylinder between the two small boxes before ambling down the figure again.

Glancing up at the vent, Zuko shrugged off the rope and screws he wouldn't be reclaiming from the roof. He was too tired to risk the jumping and climbing involved. Besides, he wanted people to talk about this night's prank. How better than by making sure the Shadow Man was seen?

Suppressing an Iroh-voiced mental warning about being reckless, Zuko walked to the big freight door, picked the lock with such embarrassing ease that he couldn't resist grabbing a piece of chalk to write a note on the wall, and hauled the big sliding door open. He heard the guards running towards the noise.

Timing it perfectly as the closest pair approached, he slapped a hand on each guard's inner shoulder and flipped right over them. Both staggered a little as leaped into an all-out run.


	34. Chatter

When they met at the train station, Smellerbee was too quiet, making Zuko worry that she might be nervous about starting work at the Jasmine Dragon. Before he could reassure her that Uncle really was kind and thoughtful toward everyone and that Zuko would be there with her while she learned the job, the train pulled in, so he could only grab her hand for a reassuring squeeze as they boarded. Zuko blocked a couple of pushy types as they shoved their way aboard so Smellerbee wouldn't get knocked around. She was still recovering from her injury. _Once she's better you guys're on your own,_ he thought, trading a scowl with one of them. Then the guy's gaze flickered down, resting on the hand still clasping his friend's, and gave Zuko a funny, apologetic grimace. Although he could feel his face reddening, Zuko decided not to let go. The train was crowded and Bee hadn't ridden it very often. What if they got separated and she got off at the wrong stop? Ba Sing Se was huge and people just got ruder the further inside you got. She wouldn't tolerate the kind of stares he endured whenever he left the Outer Ring.

They couldn't talk much in this crowd, so he ignored the chatter around him to review the training regimen he'd planned for Smellerbee and the other two servers his uncle had hired, one male, one female, outgoing and, if Iroh was to be believed, educated about tea. Tea snobs, in Zuko's own parlance. He just hoped that they would be able to recall orders correctly and balance trays with grace. He was sure Smellerbee would master those skills in no time. The qualities of specific teas might take longer, but if he could manage despite a lifelong disinterest in boiled leaves of any description, she should be fine. Uncle would tell her all she needed to know about his favorite subject. _Plus more than anyone would ever need to know. The hard part with Uncle and tea is getting him to stop talking!_

As they disembarked, Smellerbee bumped her shoulder into his arm. Realizing he was still gripping her hand and she was probably sick of it, he let go, but she grabbed his bicep and tucked her arm into his, giving him a mischievous grin when he looked down. "What'd you do?" she whispered. Those big eyes had a familiar wicked gleam.

Right. She'd had the same glint when she saw the Blue Spirit's wanted poster after he rescued the bison. Like she _knew_. Deflecting, he asked, "What is it you think I did?"

"Don't play dumb", she hissed, "The warehouse. Details!"

 _How does someone this tiny manage to push me around?_ Zuko asked, laughing at himself. And she did have a point. Jet and Smellerbee knew about the Shadow Man, and if Longshot didn't at least suspect he'd be surprised _. I ought to just sit down with them and admit it. And about the Blue Spirit. One less secret to live with._ The thought actually cheered him up until he thought of the questions they would inevitably ask. _Should I tell them I'm Fire Nation? My real name?_ Funny. He'd gambled everything on winning Jet's trust with the truth. Now he felt a little sick at losing the others' friendship by offering the same.

He didn't want to say too much on a public street. "Just moved some boxes around."

"Was it really a bear?" she asked, really not holding back her giggles well at all.

"It was _the_ bear", he replied. "Didn't anybody notice the hat?"

Snickering, she gave his arm a near-bruising squeeze. "You sound so offended."

"It took a lot of work!"

"You artists are _so_ sensitive", she said with a sniff.

By the time they got to their destination, she'd coaxed the whole night's story out of him and they were both laughing. They sobered as Zuko opened the door for Bee, but Uncle Iroh must have heard them. His words of greeting were simply polite and welcoming, but he beamed at his new employee like a long lost daughter. Zuko decided he'd need to nip that notion in the bud before Uncle started planning their wedding. _Tonight should be soon enough._

 _##############_

"He played leapfrog with the watchmen," a grinning Hui told Gan as they walked into the Avatar's converted stable.

"Huh?" said Sokka, looking up from a map he was studying. He'd marked it in several places. Gan couldn't make out why. "You guys were doing what?"

"Not City Watch," Gan replied. "Private guards hired for security. They were surprised by a local mischief maker last night."

"Not a thing stolen," Hui added.

Gan gave him a stern look. Hui and too many others seemed to enjoy the Shadow Man's antics. "Nothing was reported stolen," he corrected.

"Why wouldn't they say something if they were robbed?" Sokka asked.

"Cause they shouldn't have had it in the first place?" guessed Toph. The girl was lounging on top of her bedding. It didn't look as if she'd bothered to brush her hair yet today, and possibly not her teeth. Gan kept his silence. _I am responsible for their safety, not their hygiene,_ he told the maternal frown he imagined on his wife Yumi's face. _Who knew marriage caused you to grow a second conscience?_ he mused. _One's enough for any man!_

"Good observation," he commended her instead, "although we've never found a hint before that the Sens are dishonest."

"Why so suspicious, then?"

"Gan's an old cynic," Hui replied for him.

"Because, Sokka," Gan replied more seriously, "some of us have noticed a pattern in the Shadow Man's choice of targets. Most treat their workers badly and often have them working in dangerous conditions. When we investigate the vandalism, hints of illegal activity on the owner's part have come to light as well. We can't arrest a respectable business person on what might be planted evidence, but we've been watching Mu Ying and a couple of others since the incidents."

"Oh. So this guy is, like, fighting crime for you guys?"

Gan approved of the suspicion in the boy's voice. They had no idea what the Shadow Man's intentions actually were, and he said so, adding, "And he's still committing crimes himself so we have to treat him accordingly. When we do manage to capture him..."

"Never happen," Hui put in.

"He is elusive, but we will."

The younger guard actually rolled his eyes. "Is this why you aren't in the pool?"

"I'm a responsible adult with a family."

"You and Yumi don't even have kids yet! The minimum wager's practically nothing."

"My mother-in-law lives with us. She supports herself but I'm not about to have her start thinking I'm some wastrel!" Gan crossed his arms and stared the young bachelor down. Hui would understand when he found a girl to get serious about. When that time came, Gan would try not to gloat too openly. Not in front of others, anyway.

Toph sat up and actually looked interested. "So you guys are betting on when this Shadow guy gets caught?"

"What if some Guards don't work at catching him because of how they bet?" Sokka wanted to know.

Gan's reply was blunt. "Then they'll be looking for different work."

"So how's this betting pool set up?" Toph asked.

Hui brightened and stroked his beard, making Gan remind him, "She's a minor. Besides, she'll know if you try changing the terms on her."

"I'd never..."

"Lie," the girl said firmly, then flopped back on her bedding. "I can't believe you'd try to scam a little blind girl."

Hui arched one brow just as if she could see it. "You use that one a lot, don't you?"

"It usually works."

Gan just shook his head. Sokka gave him a sympathetic shrug, then asked, "So this Shadow Pranks person played games with the watchmen?"

"He jumped right over a pair of them as he left the warehouse. He also left a, ah, structure inside."

"A box sculpture", Hui explained, gesturing. "Some of the crates were angled to imply roundness. It was the king's bear. He even gave it an origami hat!"

"It was just rolled up paper", Gan said.

"He got in, moved all that stuff around, wrote a note on the wall, and then announced himself as he _left_!"

Gan felt a grin quirk his own lips. "Don't forget he labelled each box so they'd know which shipment it came from. I have to admit, I've never seen a tidier vandal."

"Strange guy," Sokka said. "What'd the note say?"

"It critiqued the Sens' security. He rated it relatively highly but pointed out a number of flaws." Gan couldn't help chuckling at the boy's dumbstruck jawdrop.

"At least _somebody_ in this city knows how to have fun," Toph said yearningly.

"No," Gan said firmly. "We've got a Shadow Man and a Blue Spirit. No Blind Bandits. Enough is enough."

"What about the Blue Spirit?" came the Avatar's voice, drowning out Toph's "Spoilsport" so Gan could pretend he hadn't heard.

Both guards turned toward the young monk, who looked uneasy. _Which should be a sane reaction to sword waving vigilantes,_ Gan thought, except that this one was reputed to have recovered the boy's bison and, if refugee gossip could be believed, had also rescued Aang from Fire Nation captivity.

"There are rumors he's in Ba Sing Se, although the Dai Li and military refuse to confirm anything," he said.

"People are saying he brought you your bison," Hui added.

"He wouldn't. That is," the kid hesitated, looking really nervous, "he's not really here, is he?"

"It isn't certain yet." Gan trusted he didn't show any of the puzzlement he felt, which he could see reflected on his partner's face. The Blue Spirit was an enemy of the Fire Nation, one who'd aided the Avatar in the past. Granted, that wasn't official information, but Yumi's gossip network was frequently more reliable than official channels. She knew that, and that people didn't like talking around a uniform, so she kept her husband apprised of anything that sounded important. "We've been given a wanted poster, but the person wanted for questioning wore a simple theater mask. Anyone could get one."

Aang brightened. "Right! Of course it's not him! No way could he be here!" He straightened, obviously choosing to shake off whatever his problem might be. "So is this wild dog story true?"

"What wild dog?"

"Well, nobody knows what kind it is, eel hound or pig dog or what, but it's supposed to be really scary and mean." He hesitated, twiddling his thumbs, before admitting, "I thought maybe I missed it when I moved the zoo, but they say all the animals are still there."

"They don't allow animals in the city. Draft or service animals, with a permit, that's one thing, but..."

"Mu Ying." Hui sounded smug.

"What about him?" Gan asked, then got it. "He did have animals at the factory, didn't he? Weren't they put down for injuries?"

"I'm betting he wasn't that kind," Hui replied. "The injuries probably weren't lethal, and we know he'd be too cheap to pay for treatment for an animal."

"So he let them loose somewhere and they've been wandering the streets ever since," Gan finished for him.

"Wait," Aang interrupted. "It's hurt? And it was just abandoned? That's horrible!"

His boyish face looked fierce and stern, but Hui assured him, "We'll take care of it. We finally have a chargeable offense against that creep, don't we, Gan?"

He nodded. "Reckless endangerment, creating a public nuisance, I'm sure we'll think of more with a little effort. First, though, we need that animal, or animals if the other's alive, too, off the streets before someone gets hurt."

"I can help look for them! I'm terrific with animals."

The boy looked so eager, he hated to refuse, but, "Too dangerous," Gan said, silencing him with a glare. "What you do outside of Ba Sing Se is out of my hands, but here and now you are both a child and a guest and I am responsible for your safety. Chasing down an injured, possibly feral animal isn't safe."

The Avatar pouted and Toph grumbled, but Sokka just shrugged. "They know what they're doing. Let them handle it." Then he addressed the guards. "I hope you get to do something about that Mu Ying jerk."

"So do I," Hui said. "Jerk does not begin to cover it."


	35. Fond of Animals

Zuko found that there were benefits he hadn't considered to working at the Guard barracks. He didn't need to sneak or eavesdrop to find out about their patrol routes, their concerns and intentions, or even to hear gossip. Each shift began with the guards gathering in their stark meeting room. They were updated on city events, most often by Guozhi himself. Zuko didn't press his way in. He simply asked the Guard commander if the men would like some tea and perhaps a light meal to energize them before they began their patrols.

Within a few days, they all seemed more enthused about the normally dry discussions and greeted Li's presence with welcome, even the men who'd disapproved of having an "outsider" poking around their space. With one Guardhouse down sick, the nearest adjacent barracks had to increase their patrol zones to cover its territory. The men had to cover more streets over longer shifts, working in less familiar neighborhoods. Zuko could do nothing about the stress outside, but had determined to give them everything they needed to relax once they were under their own roof.

A patrol had just set out, full of soup and dumplings as well as their orders for the day. Zuko had supplies to lay in for the infirmary. Drugs were inventoried and dispensed by Naj La, a sensible precaution in Zuko's opinion. Many potent medicines were dangerous or addictive and their use ought to be monitored. His own duties were simple enough. He was responsible for basic, frequently used items like salves and bandages as well as ensuring the infirmary's cleanliness.

While he settled the men just in from patrol, he listened to their discussion of a potentially dangerous stray animal, some kind of dog. A spiky one. _A porcupine hound_ , his mind supplied. _Just one? Which one? Did the other one die or did Mu Ying have it put down?_ Indignation warred with guilt. Its owner had abandoned the poor creature, but Zuko had failed to check on the animals' fate. Last he'd seen them, the two had been in Dai Li hands.

After a last check on the relaxing guards, he set out for the medical supplies, only he chose a route that passed through the area the animal had been seen in. A few casual questions and some judicious eavesdropping sent him in the most promising direction. The rough looking dog creature had only been seen in an area of several square blocks. He might be able to find and capture it today, before some well-intentioned guard decided to confront (and maybe kill) it.

He stopped to pick up the salves on the way. Since the apothecary had a contract with the city, the task should have taken a few minutes at most. When Zuko inspected the box containing the order, though, he found a problem. Putting the jars on the counter, he said, "The burn salve's not sealed properly."

"Those are perfectly fine," the mousy man insisted, "good enough for the job."

Zuko's eyes narrowed as he leaned across the counter. "You're mistaken. Unsealed jars could be contaminated. Or they could have been tampered with. Maybe someone returned the stuff for being ineffective. Just what are you trying to foist off on the Watch?" he growled. When the man blanched he leaned back, a little embarrassed.

Maybe the clerk was embarrassed, too, because he tried to dismiss Zuko with an airy wave. "I told you, boy, they'll do the job. Good enough, anyway."

"Good enough?" Zuko bit back a snarl and channeled a part of himself he hadn't expected to need again in this humble new life he and Uncle had embraced. For three years, this "boy" had had to bully or inveigle supplies for his ship and crew. Though he'd been given his mission by the Fire Lord himself, he was also a disgraced exile. While a few, like Admiral Zhao, had dared to refuse him outright, most settled for swindling the young prince in any way they could. He'd quickly developed tactics to prevent them from succeeding. "Do I have to inspect your inventory myself?" he asked coldly, glaring down his nose at the smaller man. "How many improperly sealed containers will I find? Are they stored properly in the back? Dated? Or do you fill that label in when you get an order so the customer thinks they're getting fresh medicine instead of useless glop? Have you been deceiving the government of Ba Sing Se?

"No! No! Of course not, I would never..." He was sweating as he babbled on, until Zuko finally let him off the hook, saying he had other duties and requesting (demanding) the required burn salves be brought out immediately. Both were properly sealed, although Zuko made a show of inspecting them minutely before grudgingly packing them in the box, demanding some cord so he could wrap the box and give it a carry handle. Then he made sure the potentially hazardous jars were scraped out for reuse, their contents properly discarded. Zuko wouldn't allow someone's wound to become infected because the medicine intended to treat it was tainted.

"I trust we won't need to have this discussion in the future," he said, slinging the box's handle over his shoulder.

"No sir. I'll inspect every order myself!"

Zuko flushed with chagrin as he left the shop. _At least I didn't breathe smoke at him._

He spoke to a few people as he walked the midday streets, following any clues towards the porcupine hound's location. Listening to a trembling woman's description of an encounter only minutes before, he hurried to buy some meat scraps at a butcher's stall nearby, then went toward the alley she'd just fled. _It'll be nervous,_ he thought unhappily, wishing she hadn't thrown stones at it in her panic.

There was a gleaming, bald head bobbing in and out of sight across the small plaza. He caught a glimpse of orange as the jumping figure reached its apex and quickly dipped his head, turning away. _I've gotten too lucky lately. I've been close to Katara, what, three times now without being recognized? Now its the Avatar? I'll probably trip over the other one any minute!_

It wasn't long before he heard a shout and ran toward it. A skinny man was waving a broom and cursing at a large, quill-covered, familiar form. Familiar, but much thinner than he remembered and her body language was all wrong, head and tail both low and fearful. "Hit her and I'll feed you that broom!" he shouted, shoving himself between them.

"Look at it. It's dangerous!"

"She's starving! Just get back," Zuko ordered angrily, "I'll handle this." Zuko turned without waiting for a reply and crouched, wanting to seem smaller and less of a threat to the wounded animal. He heard the man's rapid footfalls as he scurried away. _Good. Less chance for trouble,_ he thought. "Hey, beautiful girl," he crooned, "remember me?" He slowly raised a hand to let her smell, watching for any signs of aggression, but she backed away. He swallowed. She was unfed and afraid and he couldn't help thinking again that he should have checked on the animals' fate right after the fire. Why had he assumed the Dai Li would rescue them from Mu Ying? "I'm here, girl. You know me, I know it. Come here, Yangchen, come on. Please?"

Whining, she extended her lean head to sniff the hand he still offered. "Good girl," he said gently when she took a hesitant step toward him. She took another step, then another, until he could touch her silken muzzle. Yangchen's nose was dry and there was a vicious, discolored cut on her face. It was probably infected or becoming so. Zuko had to fight his desire to tend the cut right this minute. Cleansing the wound would sting. It might cost him any chance of regaining her trust and bringing her to safety. If she stayed on the streets much longer she'd die, either from the infection or a person. He wouldn't allow that. He'd decided to save her so he had to do this right.

Recalling the bag of meat scraps, he lowered his hand to take some from the oilcloth sack. He offered her the food. She almost cowered before snatching the meat from his hand, scurrying to the mouth of a nearby alley to devour it. "Good girl," he repeated warmly, pulling out another handful to offer her. When she returned to him he grinned, stroking a long ear while she ate from his hand.

"Wow, you found it!" came an all too familiar voice. "It's not really dangerous, either, is it? This is great!"

Zuko almost couldn't hear the kid's light, quick steps approaching, but even if he'd missed them completely the porcupine hound would have given Aang away, raising her head to growl a warning.

"Stay back," he ordered, though he kept his tone gentle for Yangchen. "She's injured and scared. She doesn't need you to startle her."

"Okay," Aang said, stopping. After watching him feed the animal for a quiet moment, he fidgeted and said, "I can help. She trusts you, right? And I'm great with animals. I bet if you introduce us she'll be fine with me."

"No need, we're fine," Zuko replied, not turning and wishing the kid would stop being _nice_ and go away.

"The guards were talking about killing her," Aang said, scuffing his foot. "If I vouch for her and we show she's not dangerous maybe they'll change their minds and let her go."

"Go where?" Zuko snapped, turning on his haunches to glare. "Look at her! She needs food and medical care. Leaving her on the street's as good as killing her!"

It only occurred to him how stupid he'd just been when his eyes met Aang's, which widened impossibly big. "Katara was right. It's you."

Zuko could have attacked. He could imagine it, one more fruitless assault on this friendly, formidable child. But he didn't. It would be pointless, and he was numb. _Stupid,_ he thought. _I just threw everything away to yell at this kid._ He licked his dry lips. "My uncle just opened a tea shop," he heard himself say. _Why did I tell him that? I should be threatening him. Or begging. He might listen if I begged._

"He's Mushi?" Aang asked, sounding both surprised and impressed. "Everyone says how amazing he is. The shop's in the Central Ring, right?"

"Yes." Yangchen was nuzzling his hand. He reached into the bag for another piece of meat. She accepted it but ran a few steps away and paused, watching Zuko as if she were waiting.

"She wants us to go with her," Aang said.

"Me," Zuko replied. Knowing the kid, he added, "If you have to come along keep some distance, all right?"

He nodded and followed Zuko as he followed the porcupine hound. The alley was empty. Zuko took the opportunity to clarify his position to Aang, saying over his shoulder, "I'm not chasing you anymore."

"Really? That's great!" Aang replied, a huge grin crossing his face. Then he frowned. "Wait, I mean, that's impossible. You're lying, aren't you?"

Zuko almost laughed. The boy was actually asking him? Managing to keep a straight face he replied, "That would serve no purpose. Whether you believe me or not, one word to the Dai Li or a City Guard and I'm out of your life for good. I'm not lying, though. I just want to help Yangchen and get back to work."

"My friends would tell me not to believe you."

"Probably."

"Why do you call her Yangchen? That's an Air Nomad name."

"Sorry if that offends you. You can't see it well because she's so weak, but she's very graceful. Yangchen moves like she's barely in touch with the earth, like every motion's a dance." He caught up with her and rested his hand on the flattened quills covering her head. She whined. He followed her into another, narrower alley. A wall of scrap wood blocked the far end, stinking trash piled against it. Huddled amidst the trash was the third porcupine hound. If the female was gaunt, the young male was emaciated. He growled and the boys stayed back as Yangchen brought him the food she still held in her mouth. He whimpered, accepting the food with desperate eagerness. She licked his face as he ate.

"Oh Duckling," Zuko said, hearing his voice break. One leg was clearly misshapen,an untended break he couldn't stand on any more. He remembered the other boy's presence and took a calming breath, blinking away the tears. "Give me your water skin."

"My what? I don't have one."

He stared at the kid in disbelief. "You studied water bending at the North Pole! You should always carry some with you. Keeping your weapons available at all times is just common sense!"

"I'm the Avatar, not a warrior!" Aang replied, crossing his arms and glaring up at him. "My purpose is to restore balance to the world, not hurt people."

Pacifist monk or not, the kid had guts. Zuko didn't let himself smile at him, though. Maybe next lifetime they could be friends, but it was too late in this one. "Duckling needs water," he said. "Since you don't have a water skin would you get some?"

Aang peered past Zuko toward the young male, though the wary female moved protectively between them to block his view. "He looks awful."

"Lack of water kills faster than lack of food. She can stand and find puddles or buckets to drink from. He can't, so please," Zuko trailed off as Aang finally nodded and ran off.

He fed the two animals small tidbits, trying not to feed them so much they got sick. A meal that came right back up would do them no good. Duckling seemed to remember him, allowing Zuko to stroke his head as he talked. "My luck had to run out, right? I was overdue. Maybe he'll leave Uncle alone if I promise to leave Ba Sing Se." He wanted to cry when Duckling tried to lick his hand in comfort with a too dry tongue. "I'm so sorry, boy. I should have come looking for you before this."

Squatting, he started to move rubbish out of the way so he could get closer to the injured animal, Yangchen pressing close to his side as he worked. " I don't know what to do about the Freedom Fighters, though."

"What about them?" Aang asked from too close behind him.

"The water," he said, reaching behind him instead of replying. A water skin was placed in his hand. "Thanks." He trickled the liquid carefully over the porcupine hound's raised muzzle and the animal lapped at it eagerly.

"You said something about Jet's gang," Aang said.

"They're friends. Li's friends, at least. I was trying to decide what to do, like maybe you won't tell on Uncle if I leave the city?" Saying it out loud sounded foolish. The Avatar might agree, for some reason he was sure of that, but his friends were more cautious. They'd protect the kid from his own compassion. "My friends are dealing with some stuff. I'd like to stay and help them."

"They hate the Fire Nation."

"I know. I even understand why. I don't like deceiving people, you know, but there's no place left to run to."

"You just said you'd leave the city."

"I will. Uncle deserves some peace. He got tired of the war a long time ago."

Aang looked baffled, and oddly, worried. "But if you've got nowhere to go, where would you go? We've seen the wanted posters."

Zuko lowered his head. He sighed. "I'd just go until I got stopped."

Aang cleared his throat and Zuko looked up. "I don't like that plan, Zuko. Maybe, I mean..." He twiddled his fingers together and said rapidly, "Suppose we just pretend we didn't see each other? If you give your word, solemnly promise not to come after me again, then we have no quarrel. You go your way, I go mine."

Zuko swallowed. "That's...more than generous, Avatar Aang. You have it, my word and solemn promise never to pursue you again. Thank you."

They rigged a stretcher for Duckling from the scrap wood wall, a leash for Yangchen from the cord for the medicine box, and awkwardly brought their burdens to the barracks. Naj La was summoned to sedate Duckling and set his leg. Yangchen seemed to warm quickly to Aang once Zuko introduced them properly. Zuko washed the garbage stink away, put on fresh clothes, and began dinner. Once things seemed to have settled down, the Avatar left. He looked almost guilty. Zuko wasn't sure the boy could lie to his friends about the day's events. He knew first hand how exhausting dishonesty could be.


	36. Greetings

Princess Azula scowled at Long Feng when he entered her cell. He offered a courteous nod in reply. Once his aide set down the stool and left, the Grand Secretariat seated himself. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."

The familiar unattractive frown crossed her face. He hadn't revealed the source of his information about Azula's identity. She remained sullen about the matter. "These cells are disgusting."

"Bleak, perhaps," he replied, spreading his hands as if to encompass its meager space. "They are, however, clean and well ventilated. More depressing than disgusting, I'd venture to say."

Certainly better than the cold cell she'd been placed in at the beginning. He'd been relieved when the Dai Li healer found few ill effects from using the bending suppressing drug on the adolescent. Long Feng still had concerns about giving it to her long term, but believed it was safer than keeping the girl constantly on the verge of hypothermia. The child glared at him without a hint of gratitude. "I hate you."

"An honest statement," he said, making it clear that he felt neither irritation nor fear. "I believe our relationship is improving."

"Then you're an idiot. I will make you pay for every insult inflicted upon my person!"

He sighed. "And the threats return. Your guards should be treating you with every courtesy."

"I am being kept prisoner in this _oubliette_! I've had no contact with my servants!" There was a minute hesitation before she described the other girls, Long Feng observed. Did she, in her rather warped way, consider them friends?

"I am royalty," she ranted on. "I should be receiving the courtesy and respect due my rank! I should have been given rooms in the palace itself!"

"You are a foreign agent who dared to infiltrate my city," he replied. "I could have ordered your and the others' deaths as soon as you were discovered, but chose to offer mercy. Removed from Dai Li custody, you would be prisoners of the military. As a daughter of the enemy's royal house, they'd kill you immediately. Your servants," he added, mimicking her almost nonexistent hesitation before using the word, "would be tortured for whatever information they might have before they, too, were killed. Spies get no pity, child, has no one explained that to you? Even your corpses would be hung up on the walls or tossed over them to rot in the dirt."

Her gold eyes widened, whether in shock or dismay he could only surmise. Either no one had dared sully her royal ears with how the real world worked or she'd never even suspected that those rules could apply to her as well. He stifled a surge of pity.

She bowed her head in thought, eyes never shifting from her bound hands. When she finally spoke, the girl actually surprised him. "You called Be Sing Se "your city". A Grand Secretariat is no king."

"Indeed," he replied. "I do the things my king cannot."

Her head snapped up. She stared as if he'd revealed some bizarre secret. "You're a peasant! You can't possibly do anything that a king can't!"

 _This,_ he thought, _is why nobles need so much supervision. They're given so much entitlement and propaganda and so little real knowledge._ "I am," he replied, "common-born, a creature of the poorest, least influential ring of Ba Sing Se. Yet here I sit, where my city needs me most."

He rose, tapped a rhythmic pattern on the cell door, and offered a very slight bow. Then he left her, young, proud and very confused, to ponder how the world outside her charmed circle actually worked.

#############

"I'm so sorry!" Yung wailed again, loud enough for Zuko to hear her clearly in the back. Uncle sighed, turning away from the water he was heating for their customers' tea.

"I'll get it," Zuko said, drying his hands and leaving the sink full of cups and soapy water. He grabbed a basin and towel and hurried out to where the server was still apologizing, wringing her hands over the tray she'd dropped. She hadn't begun to wipe up the mess and the well-dressed men at the table beside her were looking increasingly annoyed. He sighed inwardly. At least she hadn't splashed any customers this time. With a bow, he apologized and ordered Yung to go get a fresh pot for them while he squatted to clean up the spilled tea and broken crockery.

He felt their eyes on his scar and kept his own lowered as he worked. People in this ring just weren't used to such sights and felt no compunctions about staring. He was determined not to let Uncle Iroh see how much being viewed like some freak upset him.

"Um," he heard, followed by a hurried whisper in a scolding tone. When he risked a glance, it was just a little kid with a much older woman, probably his grandmother, seated nearby. When they saw him looking, the woman looked mortified but the boy brightened. "Hi!"

"Hello," Zuko replied, "Did Yung take your order yet?"

"I don't like tea," the boy said. "It's hot."

"Tea can be an acquired taste," Zuko said, "some people need time to learn to like it." He didn't add that he had yet to learn, this being a tea shop, after all. The grandmother looked approving. Maybe she'd expected the scarred barbarian to yell?

"We ordered the peach infusion," the woman said, "but I'm not sure she'll remember. The young lady seemed so distressed."

"I'll take care of it," he assured her.

"She's clumsy," the boy said.

"She's still learning," Zuko said. "She usually does fine."

"You're not clumsy."

"I've waited tables a lot," Zuko replied, surprised to realize he was smiling at the kid. With a last check for wet spots or bits of crockery, he rose, picking up the basin and adding, "I'll just check on your orders," to both tables before turning away.

Yung was carrying a fresh tray, looking a bit calmer after the reassurance Iroh was bound to have offered. She hesitated when he traded it for the basin. "Do you remember asking for a pot of the peach infusion?" he asked.

"I don't know if I did or not," she whispered, eyes going to the pair at the table.

"That's all right. Put that in back and ask Uncle. He'll know if you already placed the order."

He treated the men with an extra hint of formal respect as he served them, which seemed to ease their previous irritation. The boy at the table next to them said, "You're nice. She talked a lot."

"I'll speak to her about that," Zuko said, though he had to wonder if the girl had only been listing the variety of teas they offered. It was part of the job, but a small kid probably would be bored listening. He glanced at the boy's guardian, who offered him a smile. She hadn't seemed displeased with Yung, and was sympathetic, so he decided there probably wasn't a real problem. "Yung should be right out with your tea."

Zuko felt pretty good when he returned to his dishes. Maybe he could handle the curious looks until people got used to him. Nobody had actually refused to stay in the Jasmine Dragon because of his appearance, after all. And if Smellerbee wasn't here, they really needed a confident person on the floor. Uncle's tea snobs were nice kids, but they still needed supervision. He decided he should head out front more often. The dishes wouldn't pile up too badly.

Once he cleaned the cups he'd left earlier, (He cheated a little by reheating the water with his bending. Uncle gave him an amused smirk since Zuko was usually the one to nag _him_ about being cautious.) Zuko went out front to help serve and give Yung guidance as needed. She did know her tea, but tended to tell some customers more than they cared to hear. There were many who came looking to try the variety of unusual or rare teas the Jasmine Dragon had to offer, but others just wanted to order their favorite and drink it. Zuko coached her in reading the customers so there'd be less of that glazed look on people's faces. She began to relax around him, too. He supposed he had been a bit of a tyrant during the servers' training.

Another group of men came in, apparently to do business over a pot of tea. They were all finely dressed and treated one another with a kind of friendly formality. Yung approached and seated them with excellent poise. One, seated facing him, had storm cloud colored eyes in a seemingly expressive face. Zuko turned away fast, but walked to the back with false calm, hiding his horror. Shen was in Ba Sing Se.

 _Uncle won't know,_ he told himself. _Shen won't say anything even if I do go out there. Why would he? It's fine._ His breathing was all wrong so he wrested back control by taking strong, meditative breaths. His hands were trembling. He couldn't pour with his hands doing that, but they wouldn't let up, hard as he willed them to.

"Nephew?" Iroh asked, voice sounding far away. "Are you unwell?"

"I don't like being looked at," he said. His voice was shaking, too.

"Li," his uncle said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder that made him twitch, "please accept my apology. I had not noticed that you were uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," Zuko said, "mostly fine. I just need a break for now. I'm so sorry." His eyes were tearing pathetically. He turned away so they wouldn't actually fall. "I'll wash the cups."

"As you wish, nephew."

He went out front, ostensibly to check how smoothly things were going and to charm some new customers who hadn't met him yet. Zuko felt pathetically grateful for the solitude as he immersed his shaking hands until the hot water soothed the tremors. He stayed in back until the tea shop closed, but couldn't bring himself to leave until he'd washed the floor twice.


	37. Coming Clean

Zuko tipped his head back to soak in the last rays of the setting sun as he walked Ba Sing Se's narrow streets, craving the solace exposure to his element provided. Since he was working four days in succession at the barracks, Zuko was staying with his friends. To make up for any inconvenience he was handling their meals, although they insisted he didn't need to because he was one of them. They made him feel like a heel.

That was going to end tonight. He and Jet had discussed his growing discomfort with lying to the others. Jet believed they were ready for the truth, but Zuko hadn't been so afraid since the night his mother fled the palace, leaving behind only her cryptic words of goodbye and a sense that she'd done something horrible, something that was ultimately his fault.

He'd befriended the Freedom Fighters under false pretenses. After everything they'd lost to his family's war, should he even hope to be forgiven? He didn't think he'd done anything to earn forgiveness, so he dreaded Longshot and Smellerbee's reactions.

He walked inside the slightly shabby entrance to the apartment building, paused to take several calming meditative breaths, and half-ran up the stairs. When he stepped inside, Smellerbee and Longshot were both already home. Luckily he could hide any unease by starting dinner right away, mumbling an apology as he pulled a marinating cowpig loin from the ice box, putting it on the rack inside their stove and starting a pot of rice. Longshot helped him clean, slice and skewer some assorted vegetables. Smellerbee kept them entertained with an update on the Tea Snobs' progress as tea servers.

"Any day now," she said, "they'll be able to work a whole half shift without yelling for help. It's almost cute how both keep forgetting they're older'n me. And supposedly know more about tea." She tipped back her chair. Zuko noticed that her foot was braced on Longshot's thigh instead of his just washed table so he kept quiet. If Longshot objected, he'd let her know.

"Clean laundry, coming through," Jet called, backing into the apartment.

Smellerbee's chair's legs banged the floor as she jumped up to claim the big basket he was carrying. "Let me get that." Setting it on the floor by her bed, she started to rapidly sort the folded contents into piles.

Zuko managed not to grin at this evidence of her surprising girly streak. While she was clearly indifferent to handling her friends' clothes, it was equally obvious she didn't want the boys touching her undergarments. She called them to get their laundry while Zuko started broiling the skewered vegetables.  
Jet gave Zuko a significant glance and Zuko nodded, noticing that Longshot caught the byplay. Jet added a brief headshake: Not yet, and Longshot's brows rose as he caught each of their gazes in turn. He nodded, accepting that whatever it was, he'd be finding out soon.

When everything was ready, Zuko sliced the meat and plated everything. By unspoken agreement, they kept the talk light, focusing on work or amusing incidents throughout the day. Zuko got the feeling that Smellerbee, too, knew that something important was coming up.

After they'd eaten, Jet said, "Meeting, guys. The dishes can soak for now."

" _They_ sent some more orders?" Smellerbee said, sneering a bit.

"Nothing from either sibling," Jet replied.

"Then what is it?" she asked.

Jet shot Zuko a glance. With a calming breath, the fire bender said, "I need to tell you something. All of you."

"Both of you," Jet corrected. "I've known what he's going to tell you for a while now."

Zuko felt a warming rush of relief at his quiet support. With a sigh, he finally admitted, "Jet wasn't wrong about me. I'm Fire Nation." He waited.

The pair looked at each other, communicating in that wordless way he envied. Smellerbee frowned in thought before she spoke. "You gotta know we have some questions."

Jet somehow managed to sprawl in his straight backed wooden chair. "Ask away."

Zuko couldn't believe they hadn't cursed and attacked him. They hadn't even ordered him to leave. He sat up straighter, met their eyes and said, "First question."

"Was Jet right about the fire bending? He said your uncle heated a cup of tea."

"Yes. We're both fire benders."

Smellerbee rocked back in her chair. "Why'd you come to Ba Sing Se?"

"We're fugitives. Since the Fire Nation wants us imprisoned or dead, it seemed like the safest place to go."

She glanced at Longshot, then asked his question with her words. "Did you do something horrible?"

"No! Well, treason, only I don't think we were wrong to do what we did."

"I thought it was just your uncle," Jet said.

Zuko looked at the Freedom Fighters' leader and sought the right words to explain. Slowly he began, growing more assured as he went on. "Maybe I wasn't part of it, but if I were caught and questioned, I'd have to say he did the right thing. I don't understand spirit stuff. I've studied a little in the last few years," and Jet nodded, understanding the reference to his former quest, allowing him to continue more comfortably, "Uncle's studied much more than I have and he's very wise. If he believed Admiral Zhao's plan to attack the Moon and the Ocean had to be stopped then it had to be stopped."

"Um, how do you attack an ocean?" Smellerbee asked, sarcasm entering her tone. "Not to mention a big, shiny untouchable thing in the sky!"

Zuko shrugged. "Spirit stuff. The Moon and Ocean spirits took on bodies and lived at the North Pole."

Her jaw dropped. "So the Water Tribe's got the greatest water benders _possible!_ How's the Fire Nation winning the war again?"

"They aren't people. They were koi fish."

"What fish?" she asked blankly.

"Koi. Um, decorative pond type fish."

"They aren't even sea monsters? Squidsharks or wolfwhales or something _cool_?"

"Nothing cool," Zuko agreed. "When Zhao nearly killed the Moon Spirit, the Ocean Spirit possessed Avatar Aang. The Water Tribesmen probably thought that was cool." He remembered broken ships and sunken armored bodies. Others floated, not having been dressed for battle. Support personnel or sleepers. He hoped the sleeping ones hadn't woken. And the predators...

"Li?" Smellerbee said. "Li? You don't look too good."

She sounded concerned. She still cared, still considered him a friend. Longshot rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He blinked back tears, some for remembrance, some from gratitude. "It was slaughter," he told them all. "Zhao had to be stopped. If I'd come to my senses earlier and sided with Uncle Iroh, how many of my people wouldn't have had to die? He tried to kill me. I could have challenged him to an Agni Kai. I beat him once before. Even if they arrested me Uncle would have been in command. Even if he couldn't withdraw right away he would never attack the spirits. He's only crazy about tea."

She giggled, though it sounded a little forced. _Right. Uncle and tea,_ he thought. _It sounded like I was trying to joke. I should tell them about the time he almost poisoned himself. Then I robbed the nice family that helped us._ He felt a little nauseous. More guilt.

Smellerbee suddenly froze as Longshot caught her eye again, raising his brows. "You did say Uncle _Iroh,_ right? Like, the general the whole army's still scared of? The one who was _supposed_ to be Fire Lord after Azulon?"

"Keep it down, Bee!" Jet interrupted when her voice began to squeak. "Walls aren't that thick, all right?"

"Right. So if you really are his nephew," Zuko nodded and she continued, "that makes you the other one. Zuko. The prince with the mystery charges."

"Mystery charges?"

"Your wanted poster, which luckily sucks so much I never recognized you, doesn't exactly say what you supposedly did. You just said you didn't change sides at the North Pole. This Admiral guy tried to kill you before you showed up there if I understood right."

"Yeah."

"So is _anyone_ else in the Fire Nation sane?"

He started to laugh and froze in shock. Then he took a moment to look at his friends. Jet was as assured as always, like he hadn't even imagined the possibility of trouble springing from Zuko's real identity. Longshot was steady, calm and stoic, a personification of earth. Smellerbee was grinning, giving him an assessing, amused look. "Looks like the Fire Nation messed up," she said. "We get to keep you. How about you explain the Blue Spirit now?"

Zuko chuckled. "That's Zhao's fault, too."

He described how shocked his younger self had been at the degree of arrogance and corruption he found among Fire Nation officers. The crew his uncle had scrounged for their ship were still active troops, but Zuko had quickly tired of fighting to prove that they qualified for their pay. Then Zhao (at the time a new minted Commander but then and always the biggest jerk the prince had ever met) refused his requested funds outright. Fed up, Zuko decided to steal the money. He'd picked up the decorative blue theater mask to protect his identity. He was pretty sure it represented a trickster or avenger figure, but couldn't recall any details.

Longshot grinned widely, giving the table a delighted slap. Then he mimed opening and reading a scroll. Somehow his sober face gave an impression of scholarly age.

"So it comes from some really old plays, huh? Is it really called the Blue Spirit?"

The archer shook his head with a careless wave, indicating that the real name was a lot duller.

Smellerbee chimed in with the whole story of his third persona, much to the boys' approval. Zuko felt his face flush. It wasn't just embarrassment. He could recall his own quick violence and the way he'd scared those guards into submission. It still felt shameful rather than heroic. Despite the brief memory of guilt, Zuko this was one of the best nights he'd ever spent.

With his own secrets gone at last, he could relax and enjoy his friends' stories about their makeshift family/rebel army in the treetops, created from war orphans like themselves. Their stories about giant Pipsqueak and his tiny partner in crime, the Duke, actually had him laughing until tears leaked down his cheeks, fist shoved against his mouth to keep the noise down. His laughter died when Jet casually mentioned Pipsqueak first having discovered the Duke rooting around in the Freedom Fighters' trash heap.

"You found a little kid in the garbage?" Zuko repeated, sickened. "That's how you met him? What if..." He trailed off. He really didn't want to imagine the boy's fate if he hadn't stumbled on the older children's camp. "What made you come to Ba Sing Se after all that?"

He winced inwardly as soon as he asked. They'd lived in conquered territory. It couldn't be good.

The three traded a grim look, then Longshot and Smellerbee indicated that Jet should answer the question. Looking uneasy as he began, Jet said, "We did something that didn't go the way I planned. There was a dam with a Fire Nation settlement below it. Some troops, more colonists. Families," he added with unconcealed bitterness. "We wanted them gone. Our homes back. They buried our graves in water." His eyes only grew colder, his voice flatter, as the tale unfolded. Zuko could see the young warrior that lived inside his genial friend. That youth would have been his implacable enemy. Rightly so, Zuko had to admit. The bitter, homesick prince he'd been wouldn't have wanted to understand Jet's rage and loss.

He knew more about the Earth Kingdom now. As the Fire Nation returned its people to the cycle of rebirth through fire, the Earth Kingdom returned its dead to the soil, nourishing and thanking its primal element. To submerge that village's honored dead beneath water had been a cruel insult. That they then built a new settlement beneath the dam was an act of spiteful mockery.

He understood their desire to destroy the thing even as he was relieved and grateful to learn that Aang's companion Sokka (of all people!) had warned the settlers, buying them time to evacuate.

 _I owe him,_ Zuko thought with growing unease. _I owe the Avatar for not turning us in to the Dai Li._ At some point, the universe would demand that he repay those debts. _Stupid balance,_ he thought.


	38. Reason For Concern

When Aang declared at breakfast that he had plans for the day with Shen, Katara had offered to go along and gotten a very strange response.

"Nope, you'll just be bored," he said in a rush. "We're doing air stuff!" Then he'd grabbed his staff and run out, rushed back in to grab the last of the odd but tasty pepper and mushroom stuffed rolls Hui had brought from the barracks, and run back out, shouting, "Bye!" as he left.

Aang had never seemed anxious to escape her company before. Katara tried not to feel hurt. "What are you doing today?" she asked her brother.

"Yanmei wants me to meet some of her friends," he said with a lot less enthusiasm he'd previously shown for the girl's company.

"You don't want to go?" Toph asked. She was dissecting one of the rolls with her fingers, eating the tangy insides with relish. "I never ate chameleon snake before. It's really good."

"It's _amazing_ ," Sokka told her with an ecstatic eye roll. Then he said, "I don't _not_ like her any more. She's just, I dunno, intense sometimes? Like a girl talked to me at the last poetry thing we went to and she was all, "He's with me" with this scary look on her face."

"She got angry," Katara said. "Most girls wouldn't like someone flirting with their date." She was determined to be fair. She didn't like Yanmei but the girl had feelings like anybody else.

"She got _creepy_ ," her brother asserted. "She didn't get shouty or normal upset. There was no expression on her face _at all_. They were looking each other in the eye and the other girl just turned and left. Like, fast, and she looked scared when she left."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to remind Yanmei that we won't be here forever. We can hang out but we aren't a couple. Once we accomplish our mission in Ba Sing Se we're leaving."

"No wonder she thinks you're staying," Toph said dryly. There seemed less and less point to an audience with the Earth King and Long Feng seemed unable to take them seriously. There were reasons previous Avatars hadn't been told of their status until they were sixteen, he'd stated when ending their last visit. Children weren't known for their mature judgement. They were children, and meant to be protected while they grew up. He'd seemed to disapprove of the monks' decision to ignore that tradition and Sokka and she had dragged the last Air Nomad out of his office before Aang could lose his temper at the man.

"I don't think you need a third person around for that talk," Katara said, concealing mixed feelings. While she was relieved that her brother knew the relationship clearly had an ending, she'd gotten bored exploring the immediate neighborhood and Jin had a class today. She hadn't seemed sure how long it would be. University students taught when they had time. Sometimes it was an hour or two but sometimes they'd devote the whole day to the youngsters they tutored. She sighed a little.

"I'm visiting Cousin Pan. Wanna come?" Toph asked.

"Really?" Sokka gave her a frown so Katara knew she hadn't hidden her surprise at all well. Their younger friend was almost defensive about the time she spent at the University. Katara suspected she wasn't just shy about her relationship with Pan. While she hadn't said a word about it, Katara suspected that Toph had accepted his offer to teach her to read the raised writing his classmates had developed. Being invited like this was a sign of trust and she found herself grinning as she accepted the offer. Of course Toph didn't see it, but Katara was certain she sensed it.

"You are such a girly girl," Toph said with fake exasperation. When Katara hugged her, Sokka sighed and muttered something about girls being weird.

##########

"Water," Toph said, fingers caressing the raised symbols on the paper beneath her hand. "Stones. River!" She crowed the last word triumphantly. "The White Stone River!"

"Well done," Pan said. His smile was more sedate than Toph's grin, but this was one of those moments Katara could see the kinship in their faces. "You're a quick student."

"I am _amazing_ ," Toph replied smugly.

"Perhaps you're ready for a short poem," Pan said, a hint of Toph-like mischief on his face.

"Bring it on!"

Watching somebody else do lessons should be boring, but Toph brought the same fierce energy to literacy that she did to her bending and to training Aang. Katara found the process for stamping raised symbols into stiff paper intriguing, too. They'd modified one of the printing presses used to print cheap booklets and flyers read all across Ba Sing Se. _Sokka would love this,_ she thought. _Logic and original thinking, no "magic" needed. I bet he'd love getting his hands dirty with the engineering students.  
_

The image made her wistful. After they ended the war, they had a home to return to and rebuild. Sokka's gift for original thinking would be channeled towards hunting and fishing. Maybe better ways to build their homes, boats and tools, too. _He'll be challenged,_ she told herself, _he won't be wishing he'd stayed or had a different life._ Turning her attention back to her friend, she listened with amusement as Toph growled a grumpy comment about the poet's turn of phrase.

"It's not weird. You misinterpreted the text. Try again," Pan told her.

Toph got it after two more attempts. "It's still a dumb poem," she complained.

"The author is very well respected."

"Not by me."

"It wasn't that bad," Katara said. Toph just huffed in response.

Pan was choosing another page for Toph when a tall student sporting a stunningly bushy head of hair and lavish beard rushed in. He addressed the youth in a near panic, ignoring the girls completely. "Your mum's in custody!"

"Impossible," Pan replied calmly. "Neither of my parents would come anywhere near Ba Sing Se."

"Not your mother! That lady! The mum!"

"Ava?" He rushed around the table to grab the other's arm. "What's happened to her? Why would the guard..."

"It was the Dai Li," came the reply, pronounced like a death sentence.

Pan went ice pale. "That's insane. Ava is the most inoffensive, decent person I know!"

"I'll get Aang," Katara said, rising from her stool.

"For what?" Pan snapped. "Has he managed to arrange that meeting with the Earth King, after all?"

Katara clamped her teeth shut to hold in her initial reply. Pan was usually a really nice guy but he was afraid for Ava. Katara was concerned, too, so she forced herself to pause and think.

"We can break her out in no time," Toph said confidently.

"The Dai Li don't have barracks like the Watch," the hairy youth said. "Nobody knows where they keep their prisoners."

"I believe I know someone who could be of assistance in this matter," Pan said, sounding more like his usual thoughtful self. Katara sighed inwardly with relief.

She liked him. She liked Ava, too. She just wasn't sure they could risk confronting Long Feng about this. Ending the war had to be their priority. _A few_ _weeks ago we'd have charged the palace,_ she thought soberly, _and assumed that things would work out. What if it didn't? We could get thrown out of the city and Ava would still be locked up somewhere. AND we still wouldn't have gotten anyone to listen to us about the eclipse._

"Hairy Li, would you continue my cousin's lesson, please? I have to see someone." Pan was already walking toward the door as he asked over his shoulder.

"Wait!" Katara called, rising. "You aren't asking Jet and his Freedom Fighters to do something, are you?"

"Are you referring to Smellerbee and Longshot?"

"Yes."

"I had no intention of bringing this matter to any of them, I assure you."

"Okay. I know they're friends of yours but they can be reckless."

Before she could offer to explain, he said, "I really must go," and left, walking briskly as if he'd rather have run.

"So how are the lessons going, Toph?" Hairy Li asked.

"Pretty good. I read a poem." She turned to Katara. "What's got you worried, Katara?"

"Pan was lying, wasn't he?"

His friend's "Hey!" was ignored by both girls as Toph answered. "Nope. He told the truth. Listen, Hairy Li, I think Katara and I should get going. Thanks for helping with my lesson."

"We haven't actually practiced anything."

"Thanks anyway." Toph actually took Katara's arm as they walked out. She tugged the older girl close as they approached the stairs leading to the building's first level. "He didn't lie but did you notice he left someone out?"

Katara paused, then they started down the wooden staircase. "Li's not a Freedom Fighter."

"He wasn't when you met in that forest. Maybe he is now."

Katara pondered that thought while the two of them hurried home. If Pan thought the Avatar could do nothing, why would he expect Li, another refugee, to be able to do more? She could hear Gan's lecturing tone as he warned her against false assumptions and acting without assessing the possible consequences first. "He could have meant somebody else. Pan's met people all over the city, after all. And I know he calls himself a poor relation, but he's still a Bei Fong. His branch of your family might have connections here."

Toph nodded thoughtfully. "Could be. I still think he went to Li."

"Why?"

"Buncha stuff. I'll tell you when we're all together."


	39. A Shadow or a Spirit

When Pan came to the barracks door looking for Li, Zuko fretted briefly that his run of good fortune might have ended. Pan looked horrible even as he tried to talk his way past the young guard who'd drawn desk duty today. Zuko chivvied the pale faced student to the kitchen, giving the guardsman a nod to indicate that he'd handle it, whatever it was.

"I'm making tea," he said, seating Pan at the table. "Do you want to wait to tell me what's wrong or get started immediately?"

The older youth seemed to relax when Li took control of the discussion. "It's rather urgent," he said.

The unspoken part of that statement sent Zuko to the door to make sure the young guard was nowhere nearby. Seeing him at the small table he used as a desk, writing patiently as a woman filed some form of complaint, he picked up the kettle and filled it before turning back to Pan. "Go on."

He managed not to spill water all over the stove top when Pan said, "Ava's been taken by the Dai Li." He gave the details quickly while Zuko set four cups on the wooden counter and portioned out some tea leaves into each, managing not to let his hands shake.

"Who's looking after Pearl?" he asked, half-turning from his task.

Pan twitched, eyes widening, then looked ashamed. "I don't know. She was at the day care at the spa. I didn't think to go get her myself. Perhaps one of Ava's co-workers has her." He sounded more hopeful than confident.

"Find out," Zuko ordered harshly, then muttered, letting his hair hide his face, "Sorry. You don't deserve my temper. A detail slipped past you. It happens to me all the time. The only one I know it never happens to is my Uncle."

Pan chuckled, though Zuko could tell he was forcing himself. "It's not your fault," Zuko reiterated, straightening. "I've seen you with them. It's not just Ava you're fond of." He ignored the way Pan's face reddened. Deciding the water was ready, he prepared the tea and brought two cups to the guard and the woman in the other room. His friend looked calm again when he returned to serve their own drinks.

"I will find Pearl," Pan said, wrapping the cup gently in both hands. "She needs someone who will care for her until Ava returns. I can afford to pay a wet nurse and Pearl knows me. She won't be in a strange place surrounded by strange faces, at least."

"Good. We've got a plan for the baby. Now I'll get thinking on how to get her mom back."

Pan seemed to accept his word but a funny look crossed his face as he said, "I know what I'm asking of you, Li..."

Zuko cut him off. "It's fine. I'll figure it out."

"What I wished to say," Pan replied with unusual firmness, "is that I _do know_ , and if I can help in any way, you must ask me. Please. I'm not completely ignorant of the risks you've taken in the past and am willing to share in them in whatever way I can."

Zuko stilled, studying that pale, serious face. _He can't mean what that sounds like._

Pan smiled wanly. "I somehow don't imagine you chose to become the Shadow Man. You sought to aid the factory workers and others attached a name to it. And while there are rumors of a Fire Nation rebel coming here to return the Avatar's bison to him, I deem it unlikely, given your concern for the animal while you were so ill."

"You've said all you have to," Zuko said, trying to ignore the sinking sensation in his gut. _Smellerbee guessed some of it before I told them,_ he thought. _She was sure I'd gone after the big guy. I don't know if Longshot guessed. He never said anything, but he wouldn't. He'd respect others' secrets._ _The Avatar knows about the Blue Spirit and that I'm in Ba Sing Se. Now Pan knows some of my secrets, too. Who else does?_

The likeliest name of all came to mind, bringing with it an unexpected surge of relief. _Uncle Iroh. Of course he'd know. Which means I can ask his advice. He might be furious that I need to break into Lake Laogai again, but he'll help, just to keep me from getting caught._ He ignored the rush of guilt that tried to take root.

"This won't happen overnight," he told Pan. "I think I know where Ava will be, but the security will be tighter since I stole back the bison."

#############

"So here's what I think," Toph said when the four of them were alone together that evening. They'd needed to wait for the boys, which hadn't seemed to drive Toph as crazy as it had Katara. Now the earth bender leaned back against a fence post, completely relaxed, and addressed her friends. "Li's that guy they call the Shadow Man."

"The one who beats up guards and feeds watch dogs?" Sokka asked.

"You got it."

"Everyone says how nice he is," Katara said.

"They also say he can kick butt. He took Gan's swords, remember? Plus Li got past the guards to look after Appa."

"Gan did say some refugees have odd skills," Sokka said thoughtfully, "Why does it matter to us, though?"

"The Dai Li snagged Ava", Toph said.

"Who?"

Aang frowned thoughtfully. "The lady Katara met at the barracks? She's another friend of Li's, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is," Katara replied, nodding eagerly, "and she's dating Toph's cousin Pan."

"They aren't _dating_ ," Toph grumbled. "Her husband hasn't even been dead a year! They're friends, but that's _all_."

Katara was a little surprised. Toph was usually delighted to see rules broken, although this was more a custom. Maybe chasing such a recent widow struck her as sleazy. Katara shrugged inwardly. They could talk about that sort of thing later.

"So you guys want to help her?" Aang asked with odd hesitancy.

"Pan doesn't seem to think they need our help," Toph said. "He said he _knew somebody_." Her grin was almost feral.

"And that means Li's the Shadow Man?" Sokka didn't seem to share Toph's certainty. In fact, his tone said she was maybe losing her mind.

She scoffed. "The guy plays down how good a fighter he is, but he hangs out with a really political crowd for a guy who's so quiet and meek. And you told me how he talked to that wannabe troublemaker when he was sick. Threatened to beat him up, didn't he?"

"Well, yes," Katara admitted, recalling that weary form speaking from the infirmary window. "I don't think he'd have really done it, though."

"Because he was sick," Toph finished for her, smirking.

"I think you've got it wrong, Toph," Aang said, twiddling his thumbs in that way he had when he was hiding something. "He just wants to wait tables and mind his own business."

"And feed strange animals," Sokka added, sitting up straight and suddenly looking intrigued. "Funny guy. First he really needed to look at Appa's legs, like he knew him enough to worry. Then he hunted down those porcupine hounds from that burned factory. They're at the same barracks he works at now, aren't they?"

"He's not the Shadow Man, Sokka!" Aang said, barely managing not to shout.

"Nah. The Shadow Man's a funny guy. Li's got a mission. I think we're dealing with the Blue Spirit," Sokka said smugly. "Which means we might just have an ally in Ba Sing Se, after all."

#############

The next morning, Zuko returned to work his shift at the Jasmine Dragon. He waved Smellerbee away when she approached him with a welcoming grin, knowing she'd know he had a reason. He strode up to his uncle and took a cleansing breath. "Uncle, I need to tell you some things when we close tonight. Important things."

Iroh studied his anxious face and smiled, then clasped his arm in a reassuring way. "Of course, nephew. You know that I will always listen to you, even if at times we disagree."

His calm amber eyes held a pleased look and Zuko thought _, He does know. He's just been waiting for me to tell him._ A relieved grin came to his lips. "I know it, Uncle, and I'm grateful, even if I don't show it very well."

He avoided the front when Shen came again for another business tea, but it was brief so his absence from the front wasn't long enough to arouse Iroh's suspicions. Most of the day was almost pleasant, in fact, despite a pair of Dai Li stopping in for a drink. Qin Pu Lo still made Zuko uneasy, but Zuko could tell he was trying to seem nonthreatening. He still watched the teen too much for Zuko's comfort.

"Wanna switch tables?" Smellerbee asked quietly.

"I'll be fine. I refuse to act like a coward because of his uniform."

"It isn't the outfit. The older guy doesn't bother you a bit. I've heard Long Feng stops by the barracks to meet with the Watch Captain sometimes, too."

She didn't bother to add that Qin Pu Lo was just a young, very junior agent. He couldn't compare to either of the older men in scariness. Zuko even agreed. His brain did, anyway. He just couldn't stand those watchful, _interested_ gray eyes. They made him want to scrub his skin raw.

The agents left soon enough and the day continued, eventually becoming evening and then time to close. His uncle said to Smellerbee, "If you wish, you may go home early."

He'd remembered that Zuko wanted to talk. The former prince said, "It's all right, Uncle Iroh. The Freedom Fighters know about us."

Smellerbee gave him a cheeky grin, adding a sloppy excuse for a formal bow. "Please to meet you for real, General."

Looking appalled, Iroh asked, "How did this happen?"

"That part's complicated, Uncle. The more important part is, a friend is in trouble and I have to help her. I was hoping for your advice. Smellerbee and the others might have some ideas as well."

"So once we're done here I go tell the guys. Got it," Smellerbee said, grabbing a broom and preparing to sweep. "Who's in trouble?"

"Ava's in Dai Li custody."

Her jaw dropped and her eyes got even bigger while uncle's response was a more restrained, "That is trouble indeed, nephew."

"I know the layout of their headquarters, but I'm sure the Dai Li have improved their security since I sneaked in last time."

"So you did find the Avatar's bison. There were sightings of the Blue Spirit reported after that night." Iroh's voice was serene as he gathered a few stray cups from the tables and brought them to the back to wash. When he came out, he said, "You were not inspired by another, were you?"

Zuko sighed, not turning from the table he was wiping down. "No. The mask was always mine."

"You can blame Zhao," Smellerbee told him in a helpful way.

"Of course," Iroh said, concealing his face with one hand. His shoulders shook for several moments before he lowered it. Rather than the anger Zuko had dreaded, he looked amused. "The Admiral was a most difficult man to negotiate with."

"He didn't want to negotiate," Zuko replied.

"From what I heard, he was a real creep," Smellerbee added.

"One must always consider the source of one's information," Iroh advised her sagely.

She looked Zuko over with excessive caution, walking over to circle him, dragging the broom behind her. "I think I can trust him," she declared. "We usually agree that the jerks we meet are jerks, so I think I woulda disliked Zhao, too."

"Almost certainly," Iroh admitted.

"So Li became the Blue Spirit so he could find the Avatar cause no one was willing to help, kept doing it because he can't stand crooks wearing _his_ nation's uniform, then he rescued Aang himself! Does your head hurt, too?" she asked Iroh earnestly.

"Often. But Zuko is worth a headache or two."

Embarrassed, Zuko got their minds back on business by describing the layout of the Dai Li base. They speculated on changes to its security.

"You must remember that they are earth benders. Even the corridors and rooms may have shifted," Iroh warned him.

There was too much they didn't yet know so they couldn't finalize a plan. They could, however, begin to gather the information he needed, as would the other Freedom Fighters once Smellerbee told them what was needed and why. Zuko had never felt less alone. When they finished the cleaning, he didn't want to wash the floor again. He might even manage to sleep without dreaming. He thanked his friend before she left. More hesitantly, he hugged his uncle. "What do you want for dinner?"

"It is late, nephew," Iroh said, clearly delighted by his awkward gesture. "We should eat out, just this once. A shop around the corner is said to make the most delightful barbecued picken."

"Whatever you want, Uncle."

"I do wish to know one thing," he said as they walked into the quiet road.

"Yes, Uncle?"

"How long ago did you tell Jet? Do you recall that when you stayed out all night, he and I spoke in private?"

"Yes. He knew then."

"I know. It is the only time his tongue has slipped in my presence. He addressed me as General. Other than that, he has been most discreet. I am pleased to know that you have such loyal friends."

"Me too."


	40. A Small Matter

"Please convince me that that madwoman is fit to continue breathing," said Wen, one of the oldest active agents of the Dai Li. He was normally unflappable but Princess Azula had attempted to escape at sunrise. Her guards had been shocked to learn that the girl could muster weak flames. She remained enraged that she couldn't muster enough to free herself. "She cost Fat Li an eye."

 _Fat Li hasn't been fat in a decade,_ Long Feng thought with none of his usual amusement. Li was just too common a name. Fat Li was another senior agent, one with a clear head in a crisis. _Training perhaps? Perhaps his good sense will rub off on some of the youngsters._ "We'll do everything we can for him."

"I know that. We all trust you to do the right thing." Wen sighed, pushing a singed lock of graying hair back toward his braid, but it was too short to tuck into the plait. Long Feng didn't point that out. It would only remind the man how near he'd come to losing his life.

Wen hesitated, then added without looking at his superior, "Sir, she's dangerous. I don't think she had a workable escape plan at all. She just needed to lash out."

Long Feng didn't tell the agent that he agreed with the assessment. Instead he chose his reply carefully. "She is the Fire Lord's heir," he said, "and Ozai is not his brother. General Iroh took his dead away to mourn. Even if his daughter's body were returned with the greatest respect Ozai would want to raze Ba Sing Se and salt the scorched earth so that nothing would ever grow here again."

"It is said he favors his daughter," Wen admitted with an unhappy frown.

"It's neither love nor favoritism," Long Feng replied. "He would do it to instill terror. To conquer a people, you must render resistance unthinkable."

The agent looked at him askance. "He's the girl's father."

"And he probably loves her. Nevertheless, whatever grief he feels will be channeled toward further conquest."

"Then what can we do? She's too dangerous to keep imprisoned forever."

"I have a possible plan in mind. The details could be set in motion by nightfall." With that, Long Feng led the way to the cell of Azula's silent companion.

############

"Good afternoon, Mai." She offered an aloof nod in reply. Although she remained stoic, Mai was beginning to relax in Long Feng's presence, accepting that, unless forced by circumstances, he'd do her no harm.

For himself, Long Feng found that he respected the girl greatly. He only hoped that she was as intelligent and pragmatic as he believed. He needed her to hear him out today.

She did listen to him outline his tentative plans for Azula, pale eyes growing narrower as he spoke. It was the only sign she gave of the wrath or disgust she must be feeling. When he'd finished, she sat up straighter, as if to put some distance between them in the small cell. She spoke for the first time, low voice a little husky from disuse. "You're a monster. You really want Azula to kill her father? Even if you could convince her to do it you'd destroy her!" Controlled passion raised her voice ever so slightly. "If you're looking to take over the Fire Nation, this plan's insane."

He smiled a tiny, controlled smile in response. "I can and have done monstrous things to preserve Ba Sing Se," he replied. "I don't take pride or pleasure in them, but I intend to remain a monster for as long as necessary. While your people continue trying to devour this continent, I will do whatever I must."

"You blame _us_ for the things you do?"

"No. Other men would make other choices. Wiser ones, kinder ones, or in some cases far crueler ones."

Mai's sharp eyes studied his face intently, seeking signs, perhaps, of madness behind his conviction. After a brief silence she said, "She'll never do it. She might be cruel and vicious, but she's absolutely loyal to the Fire Lord."

 _In other words, the child worships her father._ Long Feng closed his eyes, acknowledging the horror of what he intended to do, before telling Mai, "That is why this plan will succeed."

He proceeded to tell her about the reconditioning process, watching the fear grow on her young face. Long Feng appeared calm and managed to sound detached even though it made him ache inside to watch her courage falter at last. He could see her struggle to regain her silence, refusing to ask what she most desperately wished to know, and told her gently, "I do not want to use this technique on you or Ty Lee. You both serve the princess out of necessity and fear, whatever affection you may still feel towards your childhood playmate."

Her eyes flickered from his as she failed to hide the fact that, for her, necessity far outweighed any vestiges of affection she felt for Azula. "You may not want to but you will," she replied in a flat, hostile tone of voice.

Long Feng held back a proud smile. Mai was indeed an impressive young woman. "That remains to be seen. You and I are loyal to our respective countries. I suspect that, like myself, you are willing to do things others might find morally objectionable if you believe you must. Do you see this war as serving your nation's interests?"

"We're winning."

"No, you're gaining territory in exchange for life's blood, yours and ours. Holding that territory will cost even more lives, over the course of generations, no less. My own assessment is that rebellion by the conquered will evolve into civil war. There will be neither peace nor balance anywhere in the world for centuries."

Mai's pale skin blanched even further, but she managed a reasonable facade of indifference as she replied, "Why should I care about hundreds of years from now? Like I said, we'll have won."

"You'll know no peace in your lifetime. Not a single night of rest without the threat of assassination, not for you, your children, your grandchildren. Even your great-grandchildren."

"I can't stand kids."

He chuckled, almost able to sense Wen's surprise behind him as he guarded the door. _Look at her,_ he thought. _I only wish our king had a tenth of this girl's fortitude!_ "I think you understand me regardless," he told Mai. Only the subtlest change of expression revealed that he was correct.

"If Azula is to approach the Fire Lord, her behavior must seem completely normal. The assistance of people who know her would be invaluable."

"Me and Ty Lee."

"Yes."

"We aren't traitors." The fierce pride in her eyes put the lie to her cool tone. Again, Long Feng was forced to hide his own admiration for the young woman.

"I don't expect it of you. This war is draining both of our nations. Help Azula to end it for the good of yours."

"You plan to make her a puppet. Don't talk like she's agreed to this sick plan of yours."

"She has not," he readily agreed. "She never would. But your princess is not, as she is now, a fit ruler for the Fire Nation. I wouldn't give her command of a squadron, would you?"

"She's a genius. People are drawn to her."

"Charisma and intellect are useful qualities. I would argue that sanity, good sense and mercy are indispensable."

Mai's thin lips parted as she sought to answer, but she paused, looking down at her bound hands. "She's the heir we've got. Unless you've got Zuko stashed away somewhere, only everybody thinks he's a traitor."

 _Except you, perhaps?_ When she spoke of the exiled prince, a hint of tenderness touched her sober features. _Him, she'd follow,_ Long Feng thought, _without threats or fear to drive her._ "I'm afraid I don't know where he is," he said, "and I wouldn't intentionally inflict more war on anyone. A succession dispute might preoccupy your people, but I'd hardly call that peace."

He'd managed to confuse her, judging by her baffled look. "What are you thinking, then?"

"Azula will behave more rationally once she undergoes reconditioning, but she will never be entirely sane. If she rules after Ozai, the situation can only continue to deteriorate. Unless," he added with subtle emphasis, "she is given guidance. With correct conditioning she will be able to recognize and accept sensible advice. Both of our nations would benefit."

Mai's cool mask failed completely as her jaw fell open. "You want me to be the one holding her strings? To manipulate the Fire Nation under your orders?"

"Not at all. I trust in your good sense and ability to guide her. I want this war over with and the bloodshed to stop."

She stared openly, a spark he thought might be agreement or hope in her eyes before she slumped. "It won't. If she kills her father, nobody will accept her as his successor."

 _She's listening,_ Long Feng thought. _And perceptive. Nor does she does crave the power behind the throne, not if it harms the Fire Nation._ "If his death were managed discreetly, there would be no conflict."

"You're crazy," she whispered, not looking at him.

"A bit, as are you and everyone else living through this madness. But it can end. I promise no perfect world, Mai, but in you, Ty Lee, even Azula, at last I can see hope."

Wen actually gasped behind him, drawing a shrewd glance from the prisoner before her gaze returned to Long Feng. "I thought the Avatar was supposed to save the world."

"The Avatar's duties are spiritual in nature. He is not meant to be a weapon in worldly disputes," he replied, allowing some of his distaste to show. "I might add that he is a child barely come into his powers. To place him at the forefront of battle, especially against a man as merciless as Ozai, is unconscionable."

"Azula's not much older." An tremor of anger shook Mai's voice slightly.

"And I am a monster," Long Feng replied gently. "I've admitted it already. But Azula has already been forged into a weapon and she will rule your people some day. Under current conditions her instability may become true madness. She will choose advisors who cater to her every whim, no matter how irrational. The reconditioning process can shore up her mind. Your presence, a reliable, sane voice she can trust implicitly, will do the same."

"She doesn't trust me. Azula doesn't trust anyone anymore."

"Not since her lady mother's disappearance."

Mai seemed unsurprised that he knew of that, but shook her head in denial. "Lady Ursa might've loved her, but she knew Azula was wrong inside. She'd hurt animals, fire bend at me and Ty Lee and call it a game. Servants were scared to death of her." Her eyes shimmered as if Mai were ready to cry. "She picked at Zuko, teased him, always showed how much better she was, the prodigy, the clever one. And he always stepped in. For servants, animals, friends. They'd argue. She'd tease, he'd yell. Azula's a brilliant liar and she lied to him all the time. He hated that. He can't lie. He's just _horrible_ at it. I think Azula counted on that. Their father's like her, a really smooth talker, and at court? Honesty is not recommended."

Long Feng nodded. One didn't speak too bluntly to men like Ozai. Or to people who'd carry tales to him.

Mai went on. "Ty Lee and I were her friends, but we got picked to be with her. You understand? I'm not sure she's ever thought we really care about her. Her brother was the one person she could get the truth from even after their mom disappeared. Then their dad burned his face and exiled him."

"You don't want to betray her, do you?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"No."

"Then we can save her."

At long last, she nodded, accepting his plan.

############

Long Feng had returned to his office, allowing Mai and Ty Lee to discuss his plan for Azula in the latter's cell. He was exhausted, so he'd decided to handle some routine paperwork before beginning the more complex planning required for Azula's subtle conditioning process.

"Grand Secretariat, sir," Joo Dee's voice called through Long Feng's office door. "May we have a moment of your time for a small matter of some concern?"Long Feng felt his brows rise at the odd phrasing but called her in. The woman's smile was in place but seemed strained as she thanked him. The young Dai Li agent that entered with her looked completely overwhelmed. Long Feng assumed it was the tiny, whimpering bundle of helpless infant he was holding awkwardly in his arms. He suppressed any hint of amusement. Dai Li, after all, were only thoroughly trained in handling any _dangerous_ situation.

"We had to take her mother into custody today," the young man said unhappily. Bok, an only child, Long Feng recalled. "They don't appear to have any family in the city."

A refugee, then. Long Feng rose to examine at the baby. "She hasn't mistreated the child?"

"It would appear not. She was at a day care attached to the mother's place of employment," Joo Dee told him. "They were shocked that she'd been arrested and several coworkers insisted it must be a misunderstanding. The nanny described her as a very conscientious mother."

Unusual indeed, outside parties daring to question the Dai Li. It struck him as a sign in the woman's favor. Long Feng smoothed a frown from his face as he looked down at the little girl. Reconditioning the mother could require weeks or even months and having the child, a tangible reminder of her current life, present would only lengthen the process if it proved possible at all. The child was only a few months old, he guessed. Those dark rooms under Lake Laogai were no place for her.

Hoping the situation wasn't as dire as it seemed, he asked, "What precisely did this woman do?"

"She became quite hysterical at the sight of a respectable merchant's wagon," Joo Dee said.

"The City Watch tried to calm her down but she kept demanding that they arrest the merchant for," Bok hesitated, looking miserably uncomfortable, "for assaulting her, um, intimately."

"Sexually, you mean. Never dance around pertinent information. She accused this merchant of rape."

He swallowed but stood straighter. "Yes sir."

"Does she claim this child was a result of the attack?" he asked, keeping his voice calm and even. Dark, trusting eyes gazed up at him and he managed to offer her a tiny smile. When he held a finger close she grasped it with her astonishingly small hand.

"She claims to be a widow. Her documents seem to be valid." Joo Dee wasn't smiling, but didn't seem to be struggling with her own dark, suppressed memories, he noticed with relief.

"Lying would only be reasonable if the father were foreign," he said, leaving the implication of Fire Nation troops running amuck unspoken. They both already knew. "The mother of an illegitimate child has rights. Even if it was rape and the father imprisoned, his family would owe the woman and child assistance. Is this merchant well off as well as respected?"

"You are familiar with the name Shen?" Joo Dee asked.

"I am." Long Feng imagined the sound of great bronze doors slamming shut on any hope of investigating the woman's accusation properly. "Many of the city's noblest families enjoy the luxuries he brings to the city. He always seems to find some fascinating manuscript for the Earth King's pleasure as well." He didn't mention the messages Shen sometimes carried between the Earth Kingdom's remaining fortresses and cities. _Even if the claim is true she'll get no justice,_ the Grand Secretariat thought with regret. _Our nobles and generals would be outraged by any investigation. Even old Bumi might complain if he heard, although he's fond of doing the unexpected._

Rumor had it Bumi had risked spreading plague in Omashu to rid the city of its conquerors. He seemed to delight in chaos and was said to have been of common blood. Omashu's rulers were required to prove themselves as benders before they were chosen, a system with its own virtues and drawbacks that Long Feng had studied intensely when he was younger. _He might insist on an investigation if his sense of justice remains as strong as when he was chosen._

King Kuei might respect another ruler's input, but Bumi was far away dealing with his own war zone. _I can't assume what he'd say, either,_ Long Feng admitted to himself. _The decision, as always, is my burden._ "The widow's demeanor?"

"Outraged and distressed. She also believes he's committed the same crimes against others and will continue until he's forcibly stopped." The young agent looked relieved when his superior took the baby from him.

"She won't remain silent if she believes he's dangerous."

"I don't believe so, sir."

She'd been taken into custody in broad daylight. If Shen even suspected she had and would continue to accuse him, the woman's life could be in danger and there was a helpless child in the household. Long Feng could imagine a staged robbery gone wrong, the desire for silence to enable the killer's escape, ending in the needless death of mother and daughter alike.

It wasn't a decision he wanted to make. It never was. "Their names?"

"The woman's name is Ava. The child is called Pearl," Joo Dee replied.

"Ava is invited to Lake Laogai."

Joo Dee looked delighted. "How wonderful! A visit to Lake Laogai is always so refreshing!"

"I hope she will find it so as well. Pearl will need to be adopted. I believe there are records kept of families seeking children." He turned to the Dai Li but Joo Dee interrupted.

"What of Ming Ma? Her own loss was recent enough that she could tend to the baby's needs herself without a wet nurse. With time, she may come to think of Pearl as her own."

The notion was either horrible or inspired. Masking uncertainty, he told her, "I would need to speak to her and her husband. You'll need to make arrangements for the night."

Joo Dee accepted the baby happily, holding her more comfortably than Bok had. "Of course."

He addressed his agent. "I don't know if they will want to take in a child so soon after losing their son. Look into alternative arrangements."

############

The young couple still looked weighed down by grief when he went to them that evening. Both were hesitant, and he could only beg forgiveness when his niece began to cry. Long Feng insisted that they should forget the matter, but Teifan asked if they could meet the child in question. Ming Ma shot her husband a betrayed look that didn't suit her round, gentle face at all.

"She's not our child," Teifan told her, "I know that. Our firstborn child was a son and we both loved him even if we didn't get to know him. This little girl needs a family. If you look at her and can't stand the thought, then of course I'll understand. But you're so loving, Ming Ma. Maybe this child needing us, needing you, is meant to be."

She pulled her hands from his, rising to take several strides away from them both. "You'd replace our baby?"

"No! Never! I just want to believe something good can come of losing him. And the nursery is so _empty_. Whenever I walk past that door and there's nothing, no sound when he should be crying, or you should be singing to him, I can't stand the quiet, I'm sorry." Teifan's eyes, already red from previous tears, started to leak.

Ming Ma looked down at the hearth. There were logs waiting, but no fire. Eventually, she turned toward them. "Uncle?"

Long Feng raised his eyes to hers but remained seated. "I can't decide for you. I only know neither of us wishes to cause you more pain. I can leave. If the two of you want to see the baby, you need only ask my aide for directions to the facility. I won't try to influence either of you further."

She and her husband traded a wordless look. "Would you bring us? I can't promise anything."

He nodded and rose. She meant now, before she could lose her nerve. It was how she'd always faced challenges. He didn't smile or commend her courage. He held out his hand and she took it with a determined lift of her chin. _My brave girl,_ he thought proudly.


End file.
